The Cursed Pearl of the Caribbean
by Myrak the Slytherin
Summary: An ancient book in the library transports Hermione to the past where those around her believe she is the youngest daughter of a Governor in small harbour town and that she has amnesia... A tale of danger, piracy and eventually love.
1. The Bearer of Grave News

**A/N: Hey guys, I am back with this new revised version of 'The Cursed Pearl of the Caribbean' as I took into account from reviews I was receiving that Hermione is indeed a witch and should have been using her wand more even if she did not want those around her to reject her for being a witch seeing as in those days I am sure witches were probably still hanged or burnt at the stake…I may be wrong however…**

**Anyway, I have read through the original version and decided to keep a lot of it, but added in additional information and I also rewrote a few parts. Now that 'When World's Collide' is finished and I am doing revision for 'The Return of the Elves' I will be concentrating on this story for the time being. So I hope you enjoy the first chapter of this revised story. Please read and review! :)**

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**Story Summary:** _This story is set when the Golden Trio are in their seventh year and Hermione is 18 years old. After the Wizarding War in which Voldemort is finally defeated and Dumbledore is somehow alive, the old wise Wizard leads Hermione to a strange book within the library through a cryptic hint. After trying to read the book which Hermione is unable to comprehend, she somehow finds herself in another place entirely. Upon discovering that she had somehow been sent back in time, Hermione is faced with a number of trials, one of which she is mistaken as the Governor's youngest daughter. As she tries to convince those around her that she is not the Governor's daughter, she is believed to have amnesia and she decides to play along if only for the time being because no one seems willing to believe her anyway. When the town is suddenly attacked by Pirates, Hermione finds herself being pulled into an adventure full of danger, piracy, treasure, death and eventually love._

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_**Chapter 1: The Bearer of Grave News**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean nor do I own Harry Potter. I only own the plot of this story.**

Hermione ducked as a green beam of light passed over her head amidst the intense fighting going on all around her. She quickly got back to her feet and continued running towards where she could see Harry duelling with Voldemort on one of the higher hills that surrounded the once grandiose school she had been attending for the last seven years. However, Hogwarts was now a burning mass of rubble and flames that lit the night sky as if all the fires of hell were trying to escape from underneath its feet. She had almost reached them and stopped frozen in fear as Voldemort raised his wand and Harry was surrounded by a bright green aura and her heart stopped for a moment as he stumbled back, but she was shocked when he stayed upright and the green aura seemed to bounce back and hit Voldemort.

Hermione lowered her wand as she watched the Dark Lord fall to the ground dead after the green light that had engulfed him in its sickly glow dissipated. To her shock and horror, she watched Harry stagger for a moment before falling to the ground after and in her panic, Hermione sprinted towards him to see if he was alright, but she felt as though she was running in slow motion and couldn't seem to get to him fast enough.

All around her, the fight had ceased as the Death Eaters stared at the prone body of their Lord and Master in disbelief while the Aurors and Order members surrounded them, their wands raised. The more smarter Death Eaters, realising they had lost the war, raised their arms in surrender while the more naïve ones tried to run for their lives, only to get shot by spells sent from the Aurors giving chase. The few that had surrendered before the Aurors were now currently being gathered into one area of the grounds to be taken to the Ministry of Magic where they would inevitably be sent to Azkaban prison, some of which may even get sent there without trial for some of the ghastly crimes they had committed in the service of their Lord. Other members of the Order and Aurors that were not amongst those giving chase or chaining up the surrendered Death Eaters were wandering the grounds checking the wounded or covering up the fallen.

Those musings disappeared from the forefront of her mind as she reached Harry finally, kneeling down beside him and took his cold, clammy hand in hers and smiled in relief when she realised he was still alive as he smiled up at her through weary emerald eyes, "We did it." He muttered his voice weak from the toil of having to avoid so many spells thrown at him from Voldemort. He had kept him moving a lot, hoping to ebb away at his physical strength before delivering the killing blow, but it had not turned out to his advantage after all. Hermione's eyes were drawn in astonishment to the scar upon his forehead that had looked like a fresh wound when Voldemort had been in his vicinity was now dimming in prominence, only leaving a thin white jagged line in its stead.

Hermione smiled and nodded down at him, "You did, Harry. You saved us all." She whispered to him as she ran her hands through his hair and then traced the scar on his forehead fondly.

Harry closed his eyes for a moment, relishing in the feeling of being free for the first time before frowning and he looked back at Hermione in worry, "Where's Ron?" he enquired as he looked around for his redheaded best friend from his position on the ground. Hermione shook her head lightly as she helped him to stand, holding on to him when he stumbled due to his enervation.

She sighed as she looked around the grounds, "I don't know where he is." She answered trying to spot him amongst the groups of people still lingering on the grounds, "I'm surprised he hasn't come to find us yet." She added with confusion in her tone and an anxious frown creased her brow.

Hermione got a better grip on Harry before slowly making their way down the hill, "He must be somewhere. I hope he hasn't been hurt." Harry mumbled to her and she nodded. Their attention was diverted to ahead of them as Lucius Malfoy was being dragged away forcefully by Aurors and he wasn't going without a fight, but they grabbed a hold of him and Disapparated with him to the Ministry, his shouts echoing in their wake before silence settled once more.

Harry glanced at Hermione with a slight grin and she shrugged lightly, helping him across the grounds where the battle had taken place so they could go and find him, but stopped as a voice called to them. They both turned, Harry with some struggle, and they almost fainted in shock when their eyes took in the person standing before them looking, for all intents and purposes, as if he had not been killed the year previous. The old wizard smiled, his blue eyes twinkling, as he looked at the two shocked teens before moving over to them, "I suppose you are wondering why and how I am here?" he asked them in a cheerful tone and all they could do is nod numbly in answer which caused a chuckle to emit from him, "That, unfortunately, is something I don't quite know myself. One minute I knew absolutely nothing except peace and then I found myself in the middle of a battle and without my wand." He answered with a small shrug.

Harry and Hermione stared at him in astonishment, Harry muttering gibberish as he had no idea what to say and Hermione was, for once in her life, completely speechless. Harry was the first to snap out of his gibbering and stumbled towards the old man, hugging him tightly, "It's good to see you, Professor Dumbledore." He said with a smile before pulling back and Hermione followed his lead and gave Dumbledore a hug and a small smile, still not sure what to say to the man who had been murdered the year before.

"Yes, yes, it is good to be back." He told them with a smile.

Hermione finally found her voice, "How…?" she questioned as she shook her head, "Harry saw you die, Professor…" she trailed off, looking up at him as though he would disappear again at any minute.

Dumbledore shook his head, "I do not know what brought me back, but now that I am here there are more pressing issues at hand." He told them to which he received two looks of bewilderment in return.

"Professor?" Harry questioned in anxiety, wondering what Dumbledore was insinuating towards.

Dumbledore smiled despondently, "When I arrived, I stumbled over Mr. Weasley. He is still alive and has been taken to the Hospital Wing…" he paused for a moment as his countenance became thoughtful, "…or I should say, what is left of the Hospital Wing." He corrected himself before looking back at their apprehensive expressions, "Harry, could you go and check up on him? I am sure Poppy has deduced his condition and seen to his wounds so I expect he will be sleeping." He requested of him with a smile. Harry frowned at these words, glancing at Hermione wondering why she had not been asked to go with him.

Harry nodded up at Dumbledore, "Yes, I'll go straight there now. Come on, 'Mione." He said as he took Hermione's hand and made to leave with her, but Dumbledore's hand on his shoulder stopped him, "Professor?" he asked in misunderstanding.

"I have need of Miss. Granger's assistance, Harry. I shall see to it that she joins you both immediately after I have spoken with her." He explained and Harry nodded in understanding before giving Hermione a quick hug and jogging towards the mass of rubble that had once been the Great Hall of Hogwarts, which now lay in ruins due to the Ravenclaw Tower collapsing on top of it.

Hermione frowned, her eyes lingering on Harry as he climbed over part of the collapsed wall and into the castle before turning back to Dumbledore, "You want to speak with me?" she asked him, drawing his attention back to her.

"Correct Miss. Granger. If you would follow me." He told her and she did, walking towards the ruined castle. They found a way in without much difficulty and Hermione looked around forlornly at the devastation that had been caused. Hermione looked up at Dumbledore as he sighed heavily, "Well, I always did want to do some refurbishment to the place. Make it a little more upbeat, if you will." He told her with a small smile and she laughed slightly.

Hermione followed him up the cracked marble staircase towards where the moving staircase was only to discover that they had inexplicably stopped moving for obvious reasons as half of them had collapsed to the ground below, but the ones remaining had inconveniently stopped on the side they were needing to get to or had stopped in the middle and were too far away to even jump across to them. Dumbledore took out his wand and pointed to them, but when they did not budge, he sighed and beckoned her to follow him around another way, using the secret passage ways instead to reach their destination which unfortunately took much longer.

Eventually after much tribulation, mainly due to Peeves who had decided to block their way at one point and threw water balloons at them because he believed they were Death Eaters, they reached the Gargoyle statue which seemed to have lost one of its wings and was grasping it in pain. He looked up as they approached, his face scrunched up in agony, but upon noticing Dumbledore, its eyes widened and he moved out of the way without question to reveal the spiral staircase. Hermione frowned at the poor creature, "Are you alright?" she asked it, but received only a short nod in return before she trailed Dumbledore onto the staircase which began moving up towards a large oak door that lead to Dumbledore's office.

As they walked in, Hermione's eyes were instantly drawn to all the curious little devices and instruments that McGonagall had kept, not having the heart to throw them away, after Dumbledore's death as a sort of memorial for him. She was surprised to find the office was still intact as the rest of the castle was collapsing around it, but didn't voice anything as she watched Dumbledore with inquisitive eyes as he sat down in the chair behind his desk tiredly.

He looked up at her, "Please take a seat, Miss. Granger." He offered as a plush chintz chair appeared before his desk and she sat down in it.

"What is it you needed to talk to me about, sir?" she enquired as she looked at him curiously.

Dumbledore smiled grimly at her eagerness to get straight to the point rather than dilly-dally on idle chatter, before the smile faded and his countenance became solemn, "I am afraid that it is grave news I have to bear, Miss. Granger." He began as a troubled expression replaced her initial inquisitiveness, "I am afraid that despite your attempts to keep your parents protected from Voldemort, they were murdered by him personally three nights ago." He expounded as tears welled in his eyes upon looking at the shock on her face. Hermione found herself unable to digest the information she had just been given and tears filled her eyes as she stared at Dumbledore in disbelief and he looked back regretfully.

Nothing was said between them as Dumbledore let her have a moment to lament for her loss, the silence only broken by her quiet, strangled sobs every now and again. After a short while, he leaned forward onto the desk and gently touched her arm where she had hid her face in them. He was about to say more when she looked up at him, confusion mingling with the tears still lingering unshed in her eyes, "How…?" she trailed off for a moment as she choked out another sob before continuing, "How d-did you k-know? You w-were dead." She forced out through her strangled sobs as she tried to wipe away the remnants of her tears with little success as more came.

Dumbledore sighed quietly, "It is difficult to explain, but when Muggles that have given birth to magical children die, they end up where our kind goes. Does that make sense?" he explained and she nodded slightly, "To explain it in detail would be far too complex and difficult so I will not. It would take too long and due to these ill-fated circumstances, it would be unhealthy to try and teach you anything at this time." He said gently to which he received a slow nod and a slight frown in return.

Hermione sniffed, wiping away fresh tears as she made to stand and looked at Dumbledore, "Is there anything else, Professor?" she asked him miserably, her voice almost like a monotone as her heartache began to overcome her.

Dumbledore stood also, giving her a small smile as he came around the desk and placed an arm around her, walking her slowly to the door, "Just one more thing." He told her and she looked up at him, interest in her red, puffy eyes, "I have always found that in dark times such as these when I have had ill tidings brought to me, a good book can work wonders as a cure for the disheartened." He explained to her cryptically as she frowned up at him, "I believe you will find one in the library, Miss. Granger." He told her, his eyes twinkling and she nodded, not really knowing what to make of this, but walked through the door he held open for her. She thanked him and went to get on the Spiral staircase but he called her back, "Oh and Miss. Granger?"

She turned to look at him, "Yes, Professor?" she asked him curiously.

"Remember to stop in and check on Mr. Weasley before going to the library to check how he is doing. I am sure that Mr. Potter will also be wondering about your whereabouts." He told her with a small comforting smile and she nodded without returning it.

Dumbledore closed the door and Hermione couldn't stop the flow of tears that overcame her and she leaned back against the door heavily as she thought about her parents. Where had she gone wrong when she sent them away for their protection? Where had she failed in making sure they were as far away from England as humanly possible? She shook these thoughts away and attempted to control her emotions as she did not want Harry or Ron worrying about her and she wasn't sure if she was ready to talk about it just yet to anyone.

She stepped onto the spiral staircase which began rotating downwards and she walked off it torpidly as it reached the bottom, wiping away the fresh tears that made a trail down her pale cheeks. She felt helpless and numb, the knowledge of her murdered parents made her feel like a part of her had been ripped away leaving only a gaping hole where only they had filled it. She knew when she had sent them away that she would never see them again, that the spell she had used on them was far too powerful and no matter what counter spell was used, what was done could never be undone. However, it was knowing they were alive and building their new lives in Australia that helped her get over her woe because she knew that one day, she may be able to go see them and slowly build a relationship with them again, but that had all been destroyed by Voldemort…

How had he found them? She wondered as she turned into a hallway that was completely destroyed, the ceiling was caved in at the end meaning she would need to use another route to the Hospital Wing and she turned, going down another corridor which was mostly untouched save for a few cracks in the walls. She passed an open door and looked in it only to see that the outside wall had collapsed and she walked over, looking out at the clear sky which was littered with stars and she sighed, tears welling in her eyes again.

She turned and continued to wander slowly through the empty, silent marred halls towards the Hospital Wing, her footsteps echoing around her cacophonously. She looked up at the long hallway, the darkness and silence was foreboding. It was out of the ordinary for Hogwarts to be so vacant of life, there had always been someone wandering around or the ghosts would be hovering, but this night there was nothing but the sound of her echoing footfalls on the floor to greet her.

It took Hermione a long while to reach the Hospital Wing, much longer than it had when she was with Dumbledore heading to his office and especially due to the staircases being inaccessible, but she did eventually manage to get there and walked through the destroyed door, half of one of them hanging from its hinges, to find Harry bent low over Ron's bed, his head resting on his fists. She frowned at the depressed, but thoughtful expression on his face before she made her way over to him slowly so as not to startle him out of his musings.

He looked up at her as she looked down at Ron who looked as though he was just sleeping peacefully and she caressed his pale cheek tenderly before sitting in the seat opposite Harry's and took the redheads cold hand gently. She glanced up at Harry who sighed heavily and was startled to see he had tears in his eyes, "Harry?" she called to him in gentle curiosity as she took in his slumped shoulders.

He looked up at her briefly before looking back at Ron, "Madame Pomfrey couldn't understand what had happened to him." He whispered to her as he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes roughly with the heels of his hands to rid himself of his unshed tears before replacing his glasses, "She examined him with a spell which showed about a 90% chance he won't wake up from whatever has put him in this state." He enlightened her before sighing again, "He's in a coma." He finished as more tears sprung to his eyes.

Hermione stared at him, tears stinging her own eyes before she looked down at her redheaded friend, squeezing his hand gently, "Did she say what was going to happen? What she's going to do?" she questioned him, her voice cracking at the thought of Ron not waking up, her eyes never leaving his tranquil form.

Harry nodded, "They're moving him to St. Mungo's tomorrow morning. Madame Pomfrey thinks he needs to be under more professional care and that they will be able to find out exactly what happened to him with a few tests." He explained and she nodded. There was silence between them for a moment as they looked at Ron before Harry looked up, "What did Dumbledore want?" he enquired of her and she looked up at him.

She shrugged, "Not much, just referred me to a book in the library." She half-lied, not ready to talk about her parents deaths.

Harry frowned, not quite believing her, but let it go for the moment, "A book? Is that man for real? All of Hogwarts is lying in ruins and he tells you to go read a book? If I didn't know he was mental before I would certainly think he is now!" he chuckled briefly and she did the same.

"Well you know Dumbledore, he's always been a little eccentric, but he means well." She said to him and he nodded in agreement to this statement. They lapsed into silence once more until Harry stood up and stretched. Hermione looked up at him with a frown, "Where are you going?" she asked him inquiringly.

He sighed, "To get some shut-eye. I didn't sleep well last night. Don't worry, I'll only sleep for an hour or so then I'll come back." He told her before adding, "Unless the Common Room is destroyed then I'll be back in a few." He then turned on his heel without waiting for a response and walked out of the Hospital Wing.

Hermione frowned before looking back down at Ron. She stayed by his side for a little longer before she stood and leaned down to kiss Ron's forehead softly, running a hand through his hair before she left the Infirmary too. She stood outside in the hallway for a moment, contemplating on what to do while she waited for Harry to come back from his nap when Dumbledore's earlier words about reading a book came back to her. Her eyebrows creased together in a frown as she remembered his enigmatic message and she turned in the direction of the library as she was curious as to what he had been speaking of.

From what she could make of what he had told her, it seemed like there was a specific book in the library that he wanted her to read and from the way he had told her to go and see Ron made her wonder if it would be a book that could help her in figuring out what had happened to him to put him in a coma or hopefully it would give her some sort of insight on how to help him recover and wake up from it. Feeling a new sense of hope swell within her, she quickly began making her way down to the library.

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It had taken Hermione a long time to reach the library and it had involved climbing over a lot of rubble to find that the doors to the library were cracked and the wood splintered. She pushed them open, but the top hinge on one of them broke, swinging towards her and she dodged to avoid being hit by it and moved into the room to be instantly hit with the smell of parchment and books, but she was also filled with a horrible feeling of solitude. The library wasn't used by that many students normally, unless they were just in to get a book and then leave as hardly any of them actually sat in the library, but it was usually welcoming nonetheless and so Hermione never really noticed how considerably sinister it was when there wasn't a soul around and the lights were off. Hermione pulled out her wand and lit the lanterns that were floating above the tall bookshelves, some of which were toppled over unceremoniously, many of the books strewn across the floor. The light seemed to make the place seem a little more comforting rather than downright foreboding though and she felt a little better.

Hermione walked into the large space completely, the door which was hanging off its hinge broke off completely onto the floor with an echoing BOOM which had her grasping at her chest in fright and she stood for a moment to calm down from her scare and nerves before she walked slowly into the room properly and looked at all the books on the floor and the ones still on the bookshelves that hadn't toppled over. Subconsciously, Hermione made her way to the very back of the library where the Potions and History books were kept as it was the place she always started first when looking for books, unless it was a book in particular that she needed for homework that she had no real reason or need to read under normal circumstances. As she headed towards the History section to look through the books there, something curious and completely out of place caught her eye.

On the table, the one which she, Harry and Ron always sat at to do their homework, was a medium sized leather bound book that was dark brown in colour sitting directly in the centre of it. Hermione became slightly nervous and uncertain by this as it was not common to see a book that had been left out. Madame Pince was exceedingly protective of her books and always had to have them kept on the bookshelves at all times when they were not being used by a student and she would always watch the students like a hawk when they were in use so they were never damaged. However, that was not really the point as to why this deeply troubled Hermione. The point was, the book looked as though it didn't belong in the library at all, amongst looking as though it was too perfectly placed in the exact centre. She felt it was almost as if it had been placed there by purpose by someone who had wanted it to be found.

Once again, Dumbledore's words sprang to the forefront of her mind and Hermione wondered if this happened to be the book he had referred to. Unsure and wanting to be safe rather than sorry, Hermione took out her wand a whispered a spell over the book so she could distinguish whether it had been cursed, hexed or jinxed in any way, shape or form so that it would cause harm to the person who decided to pick it up. After detecting nothing dangerous about the book, Hermione stowed her wand back into the pocket of her robes before sitting sown at the table and stared at it timidly for a few moments contemplating on whether she should read it or not. With a slight frown, her curiosity got the better of her and she reached out, sliding it towards her slowly before she turned it over and looked at the bottom where there was something that was faded now engraved in writing that she could just make out through the stains that covered the leather:

_J.S. 10/07/1734_

For a moment she stared at the engraved writing, obviously surmising it to be a date and the initials of the person who either owned the book or had written in it. She opened it and soon realised that it must have been written by whoever J.S. was when it revealed a messy scrawl across the pages that was fading with age, the sides of the parchment were dog-eared and weatherworn. She frowned at the faded writing, it was not easy to read because of how aged it was, but Hermione attempted it anyway. As her eyes skimmed the yellowed parchment on one page, she could only make out half of a single sentence which read:

_'They left me marooned on that godforsaken island to die as I watched them sail away on my ship. Them Mutineers had best beware because...'_

Hermione's frown increased as she skimmed through the book slowly, finding similar sentences that she could read, but they didn't make any sense to her and she wondered why on earth Dumbledore would refer her to read such a inexplicable book. She had hoped it would provide information in it to help Ron, but it looked more like the diary of an eccentric pirate than a medical book. With a growl of extreme disappointment, Hermione slammed the book down on the table and stood to leave, her chair falling backwards with the movement causing a loud bang to echo around the room. However, it was not the chair that had her frozen to the spot in shock as she looked down at the book on the table which was back to sitting in the exact centre.

The book was quivering before it flipped open of its own accord; the leaves flipping through at a quick pace much like what Harry had told her what Riddle's Diary had done before it showed him the past. Her heart fluttered like a trapped bird in a cage in panic as the book stopped at a certain page and began emanating with a bright glow that engulfed the entire room. Shutting her eyes against the beam of light so she wouldn't be blinded, Hermione suddenly felt the nauseous feeling of travelling through a Portkey at a very fast pace before it stopped suddenly and she splashed into water.

Panic overcame her as she rushed to reach the surface of the water for air, spluttering and spitting out the horrible salty sea water in disgust before she took in her surroundings wondering where she was. It was night time and she looked up to see stars twinkling overhead before looking around again for some sort of land. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she spotted a large shadow in the distance and, hoping it was land so she could get out of the freezing water, she swam towards it and eventually came upon a wooden pier that held rowboats and other larger boats tied around it trimly. Hermione pulled herself up onto one of the rowboats with some difficulty before climbing onto the pier, her footsteps echoing on the wood. Shivering with the cold and completely unaware of where she was or why she was there, she slowly walked along the pier until she came to a podium that had a closed black leather bound ledger sitting on it.

Hermione frowned in curiosity before reaching out a shaking hand to open it so she could find out where she was or, better yet, find out what the date was. Her eyes were drawn to the top of the book where in big bold letters written in blue ink was the title 'PORT ROYAL HARBOUR' and her frown deepened having never heard of the place in her life, but it sounded so familiar at the same time. She shook her head before scanning through the names in the ledger until she came to a date at the bottom written in the same blue ink as the title. As she stared at it in utter shock, she blinked once, twice and then promptly fainted onto the pier.

The date written within the ledger was '15th March 1745'.

**A/N: So? What do you all think of my revised story so far? I hope you all liked this chapter; it took me ages to rewrite it and proof read it, but it is longer than the original first chapter and has had bits added into it. As you all can most likely tell, it is the same storyline, only I will be adding in bits here and there to make it better. Please review while I hand out cookies :)**


	2. Introducing the Leading Man

**A/N: Another chapter also revised like the first one. It is slightly different, but again it is going along the same lines as the second chapter of the original version. Please read and review, I really hope it is better this time round.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to PotC nor HP as they remain the properties of their respective owners. I do own the plot though and any additional characters I add. Also, familiar dialogue is from the PotC films which belongs to Disney and the director Gore Verbinski.**

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_**Chapter 2: Introducing the Leading Man**_

Hermione stirred in her sleep before waking, but she lay motionless with her eyes still closed. She had been expecting the cold hard wooden planks of the pier she had collapsed on the night before, but they were not present and replacing it was a soft mattress and a feather pillow. For a moment she wondered if everything that had happened the night previous, including her ending up being pulled into a book and spat out into the ocean, had all been some bizarre dream and as she opened her eyes, looking out of the far corner of her eyes, she began to believe so when the scarlet curtains hanging around her bed came into her line of sight.

However, she had the horrible feeling that someone was watching her so she reached under her pillow expecting to find her wand but it was not there. In a slight panic she sat up and picked the pillow up to look underneath but there was nothing but the white sheet staring back at her and she frowned. Her hand fell onto the duvet and she was startled to find they were not the same cotton material she was accustomed to, but much softer…almost like velvet mixed with silk. She shrugged, not willing to complain, but she was confused as to why they were different and where they had come from. Then she began to wonder who had found her in the library and put her to bed in the ruined castle.

Deciding to search for Harry and ask him, she yawned and reached for the curtain surrounding her bed, opening them to find the room was still draped in darkness so she could not see properly. She looked onto the bedside table, seeing an oil lamp and she stared at it for a moment wondering where her normal lamp was and why she had this one now. Then she came to the conclusion that during the war a lot of things had been destroyed and assumed Dumbledore had given her this for the time being. She shrugged again, reaching forward timidly and turned the knob to give her some light. She closed her eyes as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and slowly put her feet onto the ground which she expected to be cold, but was completely shocked to discover it was carpeted.

She moved her feet along the fluffy carpet disbelievingly before looking down, seeing in the light of the oil lamp that it was indeed a white fluffy carpet and frowned. She then smiled, Dumbledore had talked about refurbishments, she just hadn't realised how far the eccentric old man would go and this was obviously what he had had planned. However, then she noticed the garment she was wearing which happened to be a rather revealing nightgown that left little to the imagination especially at the bodice and Hermione gasped as she looked around quickly for something to cover herself up with and noticed a dressing gown hanging on the back of a chair in front of what she assumed was a vanity, she ran over and picked it up, wrapping it around her tightly.

As she stood in the dark room wondering who on earth had dressed her in such ghastly garb, coming to the conclusion that it had probably been Harry and vowed to murder him when she got him in her immediate vicinity, she managed to get a better look at the room and quickly realised that this was definitely not the girls dormitories as the curtains covering the window, for one, were much too large to be covering the much smaller almost church-like windows of the tower and there was only one bed for another thing. She wondered for a moment if Dumbledore had given them their own rooms and that maybe the Gryffindor Tower was in ruins making it an unwise decision to stay in there at the present time. Then she wondered why Dumbledore hadn't sent them home before realising that Harry was an orphan and because Voldemort had murdered his aunt and uncle, he had nowhere to go so it was understandable why he was still in Hogwarts, though he could have gone back to Grimmauld Place or stayed with the Weasleys'. Plus, she was now an orphan too meaning she had nowhere to go home to so that also explained why she was still at the castle, but she shook those thoughts away as tears sprang to her eyes. Her thoughts then turned to Ron, praying that he was okay and she decided then that she would get dressed and go visit him in St. Mungo's assuming he had already been moved there.

She took one more glance around the dark room before deciding it would probably be good to start by opening the curtains so she could see properly and moved towards them. She took a deep breath and opened them expecting to see the Hogwarts grounds only to find that she was looking out on a different scene altogether. The grounds outside the window were beautiful, the gardens full of flowers that were in bloom and the sun was shining high in the sky. Hermione stared in utter confusion before looking further out, making out the pier she had fainted on the night before and her heart skipped a beat as what was written in the ledger came back to her mind's eye like a harsh slap to the face and she had to grasp the window to stop herself from fainting again.

She had, somehow, been transported back to the past.

Panicking slightly she turned to look at the room again, noticing her clothes which were neatly folded up on a chair by the bed and she quickly made her way over to them, stumbling over the bottom of the dressing gown, and searched the pockets of her robes for her wand. She finally found it to her relief and almost hugged it to her believing it to be her only saving grace, all worries of how she had gotten to the past in the first place flying out the window. She paused for a moment before glancing down at her gown, reality sinking in again and she pointed her wand at herself, muttering a spell to make the garment less revealing and far more presentable before stowing her wand away in a pocket of her dressing gown feeling safer knowing it was there.

She glanced around the room wondering if she should put her clothes on before going to find someone to ask where she was, but thought better of it. In this time her clothes were completely outlandish and she realised she would need to dress in clothes of this era so she wouldn't seem completely out of place. She walked to the door and was just about to open it when a knock startled her making her stop and stare at the door in fear almost. As she stood frozen to the spot, there was another louder knock; "Can I come in?" Came a male voice from the other side.

Hermione considered saying 'no' for a moment, but decided against it, "Yes." She answered instead and a fatherly man wearing strange, but smart clothes walked in and, to her utter shock, pulled her into a hug.

He pulled back, holding her at arm's length to look at her properly, "It is truly lovely to see you, though I did not expect you home until April, but no matter." He said as he smiled and kissed her forehead gently which had Hermione almost running in fear for her sanity.

Instead of running she stared at him in confusion, "I'm sorry?" she asked him causing him to tut lightly.

"Now, now, there's no time for your games this morning young Lady." He told her sternly before motioning behind him for two maids to enter, one of which was carrying a plain white box, "I bought you and your Sister gifts. I was going to send yours to the university, but it seems you were found on the pier this morning, soaking wet and wearing strange clothes." He explained to her as she stared back at him in disbelief, "May I enquire as to what happened to find you in such a situation?" he asked her worriedly.

Hermione stared at him in utter confusion wondering if this man was missing a few buttons, "Um…what are you talking about? Who are you? I don't have a Sister." She asked him in bewilderment.

The man frowned as he looked at her thoughtfully, "Hmmm, you must have hit your head harder than we originally thought. We will need to have that checked properly." He told her before smiling at her brightly, "We will worry more on that later though." He said as he took the large white box from the maid next to him and handed it to her, "Well, here you are."

Hermione, unable to fathom what on earth was going on, took the box from him if only to be polite and walked over to place it on the bed. She stared at it for a moment as if it would suddenly jump up and attack her before realising that the man was becoming impatient so she opened it to reveal a beautiful emerald green dress within and she gasped at its beauty as she pulled it out, running her fingers across the expensive material, "It's gorgeous." She told him as she took in the exquisite patterns and frills along the bodice and cuffs. She shook her head before folding it back up and placed it back into the box neatly, "I can't accept this." She whispered before turning back to him, "I don't even know who you are. It would be rude of me to accept such an beautiful gown…" she trailed off as she ran her hand over the dress again.

The man's frown deepened as he looked at her. He came over to stand by her, "I will have the doctor come in to check on you immediately I think. You seem to have completely lost your memory." He told her as he reached up and gently ran his hand over the welt on the right side of her head which Hermione only just realised was there as she flinched slightly in pain. He shook his head and smiled at her again, "In any case, I see no reason why I shouldn't dote upon my daughters." He expressed to her and Hermione couldn't help but smile at that. He reminded her of her real Father, but then as this thought crossed her mind she found it very hard to stop the tears from welling in her eyes as the knowledge that she would never see him or her mother again came back to her and as he turned to the maids, she blinked back the tears before he could see them. He motioned towards the dress, "Help her into it." He ordered them and they curtsied to him before pulling her behind a screen that was in the corner of the room, one of them picking up the dress on the way.

"Um…wait I really don't think-" Hermione muttered towards him, but it fell on deaf ears and she was cut off.

"Actually as I mentioned to your Sister, and because you are here of course, I was thinking you could wear it to the ceremony that is taking place this morning up at the Fort." He explained to her as she frowned in confusion.

Hermione gasped as the maids tightened her corset, "Ceremony? What kind of ceremony?" she struggled to ask as she gasped for air.

"I don't suppose you remember James Norrington?" he asked her thoughtfully.

Hermione frowned as the name seemed to ring a bell, but she shook her head to rid herself of that thought, "Um…no." she answered instead.

He chuckled, "I suppose you wouldn't even if your memory was intact. You were only ten when we made the crossing from England." He explained sounding as if he were saying it more to himself rather than to her, "Well he is being promoted from Captain to Commodore today and, if I can only surmise as true to gossip these days, I believe he is also going to propose to Elizabeth. Though, I only have my suspicions to go by." He explained to her as she wondered who on earth Elizabeth was. A short moment of silence followed as the maids tied the back of her dress tightly, pulling at them and she grabbed her chest as she struggled to breath before he spoke again, "How is it coming?" he asked as the maids pulled the strings at the top tightening the dress even more.

"It's beautiful, but it would be even better if I could breathe properly." She muttered as she tried to take a deep breath and failed.

"I've heard it's the latest fashion in London." He answered with a smile as he looked out the window.

"Women in London must have somehow gained the ability to not have to breathe." She gasped out as she clutched her chest again.

A knock sounded at the door interrupting them and the man called them in, "Milord, you have a visitor." The Butler informed him before leaving again and closing the door behind him.

The man sighed, "I am sorry, Cassandra, but I must go greet this new visitor. I will see you shortly, however." He said to her and confusion clouded her features again as she heard his footsteps retreat before the door opened and closed.

_He just called me Cassandra…who the heck is Cassandra?_ She thought before pondering on why he had seemed so convinced that she was his daughter. As the maids finished, they curtsied at her before leaving the room themselves so Hermione was free to explore the room a little more. The first thing she did was retrieve her wand from the dressing gown and pointed it at herself to make the dress feel as though it wasn't suffocating her and she took a deep breath in relief before stowing her wand up the sleeve of her dress and then began looking around the room. As she walked over to the box on the bed she noticed that in the bottom were a pair of green heels the same colour as her dress and she smiled before taking them out and slipping into them. For a moment she tried to get her balance, not being used to wearing heels before she began wandering around the beautiful room getting a proper look at it.

She walked over to the vanity, picking up the bottles of perfume and powders adorning the front before looking in the mirror at her reflection, her honey brown eyes staring back at her and she stepped back to look at herself properly frowning at her bushy hair with disapproval as it seemed to be out of place when she was wearing such a gorgeous gown. She pulled out her wand and pointed it to her hair and whispered a spell that made the frizziness disappear and left her with neat curls that reached down to the small of her back and framed her face. She smiled before moving on to search the rest of the room.

Her eyes were drawn to a beautiful walnut finished bureau that was adorned with pictures and Hermione, curious and unable to stop herself, walked over to examine them with interest. Her interest piqued as she picked up one that showed two beautiful girls, one obviously older than the other. However, what was astonishing to her was that as she gazed at the younger of the two it felt to her as though she were looking into a mirror or at her identical twin and it dawned on her now why the man believed her to be his daughter. He must have genuinely believed she had amnesia or something which was now far more understandable to her.

She looked then at the older girl, assuming this was the Elizabeth he had mentioned and from the resemblance between the two girls it was obvious they were sisters. Hermione placed the picture back on the bureau gently before sighing as she wondered how long everyone was going to be convinced that she was the daughter of a man she had never met before in her life. She ran a hand through her curls as she deliberated on whether she should play along, pretending that she was this Cassandra and that she did indeed have amnesia. Hermione wasn't too keen on this idea as she didn't want to keep up a farce, but it also saved her from having to explain that she was a witch from the future if she used magic. She groaned in frustration as a soft knock at the door startled her from her thoughts.

She reluctantly bid the person entry and in walked the older girl from the picture and Hermione quickly realised that the picture had done the woman little justice; she was much more beautiful in reality. The woman smiled at her and drew her into a gentle hug which Hermione returned awkwardly, "How I have missed you, Cassandra. What happened to you? Father said that the soldiers found you fainted on the pier this morning." She asked her as she ran a gentle hand down Hermione's hair.

Hermione averted her eyes from her as she pondered on what to say, "I don't know to be honest. I don't remember anything." She whispered in half-truth before looking back up at the woman who was slightly taller than her, "I don't even know who you are." She added quietly as she looked at the startled woman in front of her.

Elizabeth, or that is who she assumed this woman was, sighed sadly as she looked down at her and pulled her into another hug, this one Hermione didn't return as she wasn't accustomed to so much affection, not even from Harry or Ron, and she was a little startled, "Father mentioned you had had a fall and your memory was affected. I'm Elizabeth…I'm your older Sister, Cassandra." She told her as she pulled away, tears brimming in her eyes. She blinked them away and smiled at her, "I am sure it will come back to you eventually." She voiced to her as if she was really trying to convince herself of this and held out her arm as Hermione looked from her arm to her in confusion, "Will you accompany me down the stairs to meet Father?" she requested of her and Hermione smiled a little, nodding as she took her arm feeling already that she was going to like Elizabeth a lot.

They walked out of the room arm in arm and walked down the stairs slowly so as not to trip over their dresses. Down on the ground floor, they heard a discussion of some sort between two male voices and just as they came into sight, the man Hermione knew to be Elizabeth and Cassandra's Father and another younger, very handsome man looked up at them, "Oh, Elizabeth, Cassandra! You both look absolutely stunning!" Elizabeth's Father stated as they looked up from their concentration on making it down each step without falling towards them.

Hermione glanced across at Elizabeth to see her eyes widen with delight as she looked at the young man standing with her Father, "Will!" she cried cheerfully as she let go of Hermione's arm and began making her way down the stairs at a quicker pace, leaving Hermione to follow at her more sedated pace. Elizabeth reached the ground floor and gave Will a quick hug, "It's so good to see you!" she said as she pulled back and smiled widely at him. Hermione looked down as she continued to make her way down the stairs, but for some reason she could not keep her eyes off Will. Hermione noticed that as Will looked at Elizabeth he seemed to be having trouble breathing and Elizabeth's smiled widened if that was possible, "I had a dream about you last night." She stated to him as Hermione stopped short about four steps up from the ground floor making a show of sorting her dress and also because she suddenly felt very uncomfortable joining a conversation with three people she knew nothing about even if they did believe she was someone they knew.

"About me?" she heard Will ask her in surprise.

Elizabeth's Father seemed to be slightly uncomfortable at the direction he assumed this conversation to be going in and shifted his feet, "Yes, well, is that entirely proper for you to…" he started to ask her, but Elizabeth seemed to downright ignore him, her attention completely on Will.

"About the day we met, do you remember?" she asked him, the smile still present and her eyes shining.

"How could I forget, Miss Swann?" he answered politely, giving her small smile and a bow of his head.

She looked down for a moment before looking back at him, "Will, how many times must I ask you to call me Elizabeth?" she enquired of him with the smile still alight on her face.

Hermione frowned as she looked down at them wondering if they had forgotten she was even there. It seemed to her that Will hadn't even seemed to notice she was there at all which she felt was rather impolite, but she didn't think it her place to say anything on the matter, but she couldn't help the small smile that reached her lips as he answered Elizabeth, "At least once more, Miss Swann. As always." He told her with a diminutive smile.

Hermione looked at Elizabeth to see her reaction to this answer and noticed that the wide smile she was wearing a moment ago had faded considerably at his words and she looked away to the ground feeling awkward. She looked up again to see the elder man smile at her and then at Elizabeth, "There. See? At least the boy has a sense of propriety." He affirmed with a smile before looking between her and Hermione, "Now, we really must be going." He said as he leaned down to pick up two parasols, handing one to Elizabeth and the other one to Hermione who had stepped down two of steps to reach it. This action seemed to cause Will to look up from his musings and finally notice her. As she expected from his reaction, taking in his wide eyes right down to his slightly gaping mouth, it seemed apparent that he really had not noticed she had been standing there the whole time, even when Governor Swann had announced their arrival when he looked up and said that she and Elizabeth had looked stunning.

Elizabeth looked between them for a moment before looking back at Will, "Good day, Mr Turner." Elizabeth said rather bitterly as he looked back at her as she made to walk out of the Mansion.

Will's eyes widened slightly, "Good day, Miss Swann." He called to her politely, not receiving even the slightest inclination that she had heard him. He sighed before turning back to Hermione who was descending the remaining few steps, "I was unaware you were back so soon from university, Miss. Swann. I believe it was unexpected until April, but it is lovely to have you back nonetheless." He greeted her as he inclined his head at her a little, "I had heard a rather curious rumour that you have amnesia." He added as he frowned at her a little in concern.

Hermione smiled a little, "I don't know what happened. I can't remember anything to be honest." She answered as she shook her head, her smile dropping from her face. She looked back up at him, "Can you call me Cassandra please? That Miss. Swann title is sure to get me mixed up with Elizabeth." She requested of him with a smile.

Will grinned slightly, "Very well, Cassandra." He said and her eyes widened at how easy it had been for her to get him to call her by that name and not a title before tuning back into him as he continued, "It was a pleasure to see you again and I pray your memory returns to you soon." He smiled at her gently before lifting her hand to his lips and placed a kiss upon her knuckles.

Hermione blushed slightly at this, but smiled at him, "It was nice to see you, Mr. Turner. Good day." She responded before following Elizabeth and her 'Father' out of the Manor. She stood by a horse-drawn carriage and waited for Governor Swann and Elizabeth to get in and as she did she looked back at the Manor to see Will standing at the door looking straight at her and she smiled, giving him a little wave before getting into the carriage, watching him from out the window as it pulled away.

Will watched them go, his mind on Cassandra. She had looked far more beautiful than he remembered and he sighed, a small smile playing about his lips, "Cassandra…" he whispered to himself before walking down the pebbled path towards the town.

In the carriage, Hermione sighed as she sat back against the cushy seats. She glanced over at Elizabeth who was staring out the window, her expression stony. Governor Swann coughed lightly to gain her attention, "Father?" she asked as she raised her eyebrows.

He glowered at her, "Dear, I do hope you demonstrate a bit more decorum in front of Commodore Norrington. After all, it is only through his efforts that Port Royal has become at all civilised." He told her sternly as she looked away from him and glared at the floor. Hermione shifted a little in her seat, not at all comfortable with the level of tension that was now within the carriage and chose instead to focus on what was outside the window, taking in the town as they rode through it.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Out on the sea, the top of a billowing sail came into view regally from behind the rocky outcrop near to the promontory and on the landward face of the sail, apparently high rigging, was a man for whom the term 'swashbuckling rogue' was coined due to the braids in his hair which was adorned with all manner of different coloured beads held in place by a red bandana that could just be spotted beneath his dark grey hat. Around his dark brown eyes, making them appear even darker, was black charcoal and his skin was tanned from his adventures on the high seas. His goatee beard was braided with the same beads used in his hair and to finish it off he had a moustache. The persona of this man right down to the clothes he was wearing all seemed to scream pirate.

Looking down, his facial expression changed to a frown of apprehension and he jumped from the rigging onto the body of the boat which was just a small fishing dory with a single sail, ploughing through the water and walked to the opposite side and picked up a bucket. Written in bold lettering on the side of the boat were the words: The Jolly Roger. The boat itself was leaking profusely and he moved back to the side he had landed on where he proceeded to fill the bucket with the water and chucked it over the side back into the ocean.

As he threw another bucket full back into the ocean, something caught his eye and he stood up dropping the bucket as he moved to stand at the side of the boat. The skeletal remains of three pirates, still clad in buccaneer rags, hung from nooses on a gallows erected on a rocky promontory. A fourth unoccupied noose bore a sign: 'PIRATES YE BE WARNED' and the man gazed at it keen-eyed before taking off his hat, placing it at his chest to pay homage and gave them a two-fingered salute in respect.

The man placed his hat back on his head and looked down to see the boat filling up faster so he quickly made his way back over to the tiller and, using a single sheet to control the sail, he brought the boat around the promontory, the whole of Port Royal laid out before him. As soon as the water reached his knees he made a quick decision that there was no point in trying to salvage the sinking boat so he quickly climbed back up onto the mast and from his vantage point he spotted the huge British dreadnought dominating the bay, but his attention was curiously diverted towards a different ship; a small sleek vessel tied up at the Navy landing at the base of the cliffs below the Fort.

He grinned as he looked down, the base of the boat was now fully under the water and it was slowly creeping up the mast, but he wasn't worried. As he predicted, the water reached to about a metre from where he was standing on the mast as it pulled gently into the pier just as the bottom of the boat touched the floor of the ocean making stepping off the mast onto the pier at a convenient height so he had no hassle in doing so.

A smile came to his lips at the simplicity in which he succeeded making port before making his way down the wooden pier, but he was thwarted in his proud swagger by the harbourmaster who gave him a stern glare, "Hey, hold up there, you." He said as the man looked at him wondering what on earth he could want, "It's a shilling to tie up your boat at the dock." He enlightened him and the man looked back at him with raised eyebrows before looking back at the sunken boat, the mast peeking out from the water and then he turned back to the harbourmaster, "And I shall need to know your name." The harbourmaster added as he picked up the ledger from the podium and opened it to that days date.

The man took a moment to contemplate on what he was going to do before rolling his eyes slightly and reached into his pocket, pulling out some coins, "What do ye say to three shillings...and we forget the name?" he proposed as he placed three shillings onto the ledger the harbourmaster was holding and the little boy next to him, obviously his assistant, raised his eyebrows at the man, slightly impressed by his audacity.

The harbourmaster looked at him in surprise as he considered the proposal by the man before closing the ledger on the coins, "Welcome to Port Royal, Mr. Smith." He welcomed and stepped aside with a small smile to the man.

The man 'Smith' smiled, giving him a half-salute as he passed them. He reached the podium, a feathered quill sitting comfortably in an ink well and a space where the ledger would be had the harbourmaster not carried it down to the end of the pier where he was tying up the mast of the man's boat. What caught 'Smith's' attention though, was what was just next to the ink well; a small brown leather pouch that he picked up and shook it revealing clinking sounds of coins within which he pocketed before moving on. He looked around and the vessel which had caught his keen eyes before came back into his line of view and he grinned.

**A/N: Hello, I hope you all enjoyed the new version of this chapter :) I actually changed and added to it quite a bit. Please review!**


	3. A Daring Escape

_**Chapter 3 – A Daring Escape**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to PotC nor HP as they remain the properties of their respective owners. I do own the plot though and any additional characters I add. In addition, familiar dialogue is from the PotC films, which belongs Disney and the director Gore Verbinski.**_

_**A/N: I know I have not updated this story in ages, but things have been so hectic as of late and I haven't had a chance to do any writing really. Here is a long awaited update to this story, and I hope you all enjoy it. Please leave a review :)**_

ooOoo

Hermione stood with a crowd of people next to Elizabeth, and watched the ceremony with undisguised boredom. With choreographed precision, Governor Swann removed the sword from its scabbard where it lay in the presentation case, which was held by a uniformed Navy man. He slid the sword back into the scabbard, before holding it out vertically to James Norrington who was dressed in full Navy uniform. Norrington grasped the scabbard above where Swann was holding it, and drew it, flourishing it as he snapped the blade up in front of his face. Hermione stood on her tiptoes to see what was going on, and noticed Swann pin a medal on Norrington's jacket before stepping back.

Norrington nodded, before turning smartly to nod at his fellow officers and the audience, which consisted of dignitaries, merchants, plantation owners, and their families. He flourished the sword once more, before returning it to its scabbard. The silence was broken by loud applause from the audience, and the backslapping of the Navy men. Hermione clapped along, before noticing that Elizabeth wasn't looking too well as she winced and discreetly tried to adjust the corset through the material of her dress, whilst trying to hide her discomfort.

Hermione became interested in her surroundings again when Norrington was announced as being Commodore finally, and the crowd disbanded to go around and greet people. Hermione realised this gave her ample opportunity to sneak away from the Fort, which she had no hesitation in doing so. She checked to see if Elizabeth was okay, to which she received a nod, before walking away towards the gate, which was being guarded by two soldiers. They stopped her as she drew near to them, "I was just coming over to inform you that my purse is missing. I think it was stolen!" she lied, adopting a panicked tone. The guards nodded before rushing off into the Fort to look for the culprit, and Hermione watched feeling a little guilty by this as she hadn't taken a purse with her to begin with, and she knew she could get into trouble for wasting the guards' time.

Mentally shrugging, she made her way out of the archway following the road down from the Fort, which led her close to the pier. Her eyes focussed on a ship in the distance, a large beautiful ship that looked rather important, and at a nearby dock sat another ship with 'Interceptor' slanted across the rear in large bold silver lettering. She looked at the two guards on sentry duty who were taking advantage of what little shade there was on the docks, and as she turned to leave, her eyes fell on a strange man sauntering over to the guards and the Interceptor, which was obviously off-limits. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she followed and hid behind a pillar as she listened to what was going on.

The two guards immediately became alert as the man got closer and they blocked his passage to the ship, "This port is not accessible to civilians," the thinner guard told him in what he must have thought was an authoritative tone.

The man raised his eyebrows at this, "I'm terribly sorry. I didn't know. If I see one, I shall inform you immediately," he told them as he made to walk past them again only to be thwarted in his attempt, which made Hermione smile slightly. The man looked up then, shielding his eyes from the sun as music drifted down from the Fort, and he smiled, "Apparently there's some sort of high toned and fancy to do up at the fort, eh?" he asked and received no answer, so he continued, "How could it be that two upstanding gentlemen such as yourselves did not merit an invitation?" he asked them.

The thinner guard frowned slightly, "Someone has to make sure this port stays barred to civilians," he answered.

"It's a fine goal to be sure but it seems to me that a…" the man shifted to his left as he gestured to the larger ship slightly further out a sea, which Hermione looked at also, "…a ship like that…" he then turned gesturing to the Interceptor, "…makes this one here a bit superfluous, really," he said to them, and Hermione smiled at his line of reasoning, which made sense.

The brawnier guard was the one to answer this time, "Oh, the Dauntless is the authority in these waters, true enough, but there's no ship as can match the Interceptor for speed," he informed him.

The man held his chin thoughtfully as he answered, "I've heard of one, supposed to be very fast - nigh un-catchable…" he answered before pausing for what seemed like dramatic effect to Hermione, "…the Black Pearl," he said as he looked at both of them.

The brawny soldier scoffed at the name, and laughed slightly, "Well…, there's no real ship as can match the Interceptor," he answered stubbornly.

The other guard turned to him, "The Black Pearl is a real ship," he argued.

The brawny one shook his head, "No, no it's not, Murtogg," he argued back.

"Yes, it is, I've seen it," the one called Murtogg argued.

"You've seen it?" the brawny one asked with a mocking tone.

"Yes," Murtogg answered mulishly.

"You haven't seen it," the other answered.

"Yes, I have, Mullroy," Murtogg said obstinately.

Mullroy turned to him, looking at him seriously, "You've seen a ship with black sails, that's crewed by the damned, and captained by a man so evil that Hell itself spat him back out?" he asked as if he were telling a ghost story. Hermione frowned at these words, but rolled her eyes at their banter.

"No," Murtogg answered with a smile.

"No," Mullroy repeated as he looked at the man who smiled back briefly.

Murtogg turned back to his companion, "But I have seen a ship with black sails," Hermione noticed with amusement that the strange man slipped onto the ship as they continued to banter.

Mullroy turned back to him, "Oh, and no ship that's not crewed by the damned, and captained by a man so evil that Hell itself spat him back out could possibly have black sails therefore couldn't possibly be any other ship than the Black Pearl. Is that what you're saying?" he asked his compatriot.

Murtogg nodded his head with smile, "No," he answered.

"Like I said, there's no real ship as can match the Interceptor…" he trailed off as he turned back to look at the man only to notice that he wasn't there. They turned around, noticing that the man was standing at the wheel of the Interceptor examining the mechanism in awe.

Mullroy and Murtogg ran onto the ship, "Hey! You! Get away from there," Murtogg shouted as he pointed his gun at the man. The man looked at them with exaggerated innocent surprise, as they hurried up onto the gangplank. Hermione moved from her position behind the pillar to another one closer to the Interceptor so she could still hear what was being said between them.

"You don't have permission to be aboard there, mate," Mullroy stated as he, too, pointed his gun.

The man held up his hands in what looked like surrender, "I'm sorry; it's just - it's such a pretty boat," he said and then he quickly corrected himself, "Ship."

Murtogg frowned at him, studying him suspiciously, "What's your name?" he asked.

"Smith or Smithy, if you like," the man answered and Hermione frowned at the too common name.

"What's your purpose in Port Royal, Mr. 'Smith'?" Mullroy asked in an obvious tone that meant he didn't believe the man was called 'Smith' at all, and Hermione silently agreed with him as she continued to watch what was going on.

"Yeah and no lies," Murtogg added.

Hermione looked at the man curiously as he sighed, "Well, then, I confess," he began as he stepped away from the wheel, and for the first time Hermione could see him properly and thought him to be rather ruggedly handsome, "it is my intention to commandeer one of these ships, pick up a crew in Tortuga, raid, pillage, plunder, and otherwise pilfer my weasely black guts out!" he told them, and Hermione couldn't help but laugh.

Murtogg frowned, "I said no lies!" he said in slight frustration.

Mullroy frowned as well as he looked at 'Smith' in astonishment, "I think he's telling the truth," he told Murtogg.

Murtogg shook his head, "If he were telling the truth, he wouldn't have told us," he argued as he raised his gun again.

'Smith' smiled at this, "Unless, of course, he knew you wouldn't believe the truth even if he told it to you," he said to them as they looked back in utter confusion, which had Hermione trying her hardest not to burst with laughter as they began considering his point.

For a while, Murtogg and Mullroy tried to figure out whether what 'Smith' had told them was actually the truth or not, and somehow this seemed to lead to conversations about other inconsequential matters until 'Smith' began telling them a tale about cannibals or something and Hermione tuned out as she looked around for something to amuse her. Finding nothing, she opened her fan and began fanning herself as she looked around the docks and at the different shaped boats until she saw something rather odd that also amused her at the same time. Down at one of the harbours she could just make out the top of a mast from a boat sticking out of the water, but what amused her the most was that the mast was actually tied to the harbour like all the other boats and ships.

Hermione snapped back to reality as she caught the end of 'Smith's' tale, "…and then they made me their chief," he said just as a loud splash sounded from over near the walls of the Fort as if something large had fallen in the water. Hermione moved away from her hiding place towards the Interceptor in curiosity as 'Smith', Murtogg, and Mullroy looked over to where the splash had come from inquisitively.

"ELIZABETH!" Came the shout from the Fort, and Hermione froze where she had almost made it onto the deck of the Interceptor.

'Smith' was the first to react, pushing Murtogg aside as he stared at the struggling figure in the water in shock. Hermione heard 'Smith' sigh as he turned to his companions, "Will you be saving her then?" he asked Mullroy.

"I can't swim," came the answer as they watched a group of men picking their way down the cliffs, but they were too far away to get to the figure in time.

'Smith' scowled knowing he had no choice, turning to the shocked Murtogg, "Pride of the King's Navy you are," he said sarcastically as he pulled his pistol from his sword belt, thrusting it at Murtogg, before handing the belt and jacket to Mullroy, "Do not lose these," he told them before diving into the water. Hermione ran to the end of the pier to watch, her hands clasped together in the hopes that Elizabeth would be all right as she saw 'Smith' disappear from her line of sight.

Just as he disappeared, a large ripple seemed to shoot across the surface of the water and Hermione wondered what the hell that could have been just as 'Smith' broke the surface swimming with Elizabeth's limp body. As she stood there, an offshore breeze seemed to pick up, and she looked up towards the Fort as the clanking of metal from the British flag caught her attention, but then the wind seemed to die, and the flag stopped waving. Frowning, Hermione looked towards the ships where the sounds of wood and metal fittings banging against the masts had gone silent, then suddenly the wind blew in harshly from the sea causing the lines to bang against each other ferociously.

Ignoring this strange occurrence in the wind pattern, Hermione turned her attention back to 'Smith' who was still swimming back to the pier and frowned at a thick fog that seemed to appear at the water's edge near the cliff face. 'Smith' seems to struggle as he pulls Elizabeth to the shore, and Hermione gasps as they submerge for a few minutes, and then appear again and he seemed to be swimming a lot quicker towards them.

Suddenly, Murtogg and Mullroy were at her side, only they were helping 'Smith' with Elizabeth. 'Smith' kneeled on the pier exhausted as Hermione moved closer to them, "Is she okay?" Hermione asked fearfully. The woman wasn't actually her Sister, but she was a caring person, and seeing things like this hurt her anyway, didn't matter who it was happening to or whether she knew them or not.

"Step out of the way, miss," Mullroy said as he gently moved Hermione to the side.

Murtogg bent over Elizabeth, "She's not breathing!" he shouted in panic as he looked down at her with a hopeless expression on his face.

"Move!" 'Smith' said as he pushed him out of the way, grabbing his knife and cutting the corset at the bottom before ripping it open, and shoving it into Murtogg's hands as Elizabeth began to spit out water and gasp for breath.

"Never would have thought of that," Mullroy admitted.

'Smith' looked up at him, "Clearly you've never been to Singapore," he acknowledged, flipping the knife and handing it hilt-first back to Murtogg, before turning to look at Elizabeth to see if she was alright, but something caught his eye and he picked up the medallion that was hanging around her neck. He looked from it to her with wide, shocked eyes, "Where did you get that?" he asked her slowly.

Before Elizabeth could answer, the blade of a sword appeared at 'Smith's' throat, and he looked up to see the new Commodore looking at him angrily, "On your feet," Norrington ordered as 'Smith' slowly got to his feet.

Hermione realised then that the position 'Smith' was in, leaning over Elizabeth who had lost most of her clothes did not look good, or do the man any favours. She just hoped he wouldn't get accused of wrong doing when he had saved her. 'Smith' slowly got to his feet, as Governor Swann reached the scene, "Elizabeth. Are you alright?" he asked his eldest daughter as he helped her to her feet and then pulled Hermione over to them as well and gave her a slightly stern look because she had left the Fort.

"Yes, I'm fine," Elizabeth answered him as he stripped off his jacket and draped it around her.

Governor Swann looked over at Murtogg who was still holding Elizabeth's corset, and he dropped it instantly before pointing at 'Smith'. Governor Swann glared at him, and he shrugged nonchalantly, "Shoot him!" the Governor ordered angrily.

Hermione went to say something along the lines of 'Why? Isn't he just a normal person that just saved your daughter, and you want him dead?' but she held her tongue knowing that they would all think her strange saying that as everyone seemed to think she was also his daughter even if she did have 'amnesia'.

"Father!" Elizabeth said loudly, which made Hermione let out a breath of relief as her 'Sister' turned to Norrington, "Commodore, do you really mean to kill my rescuer?" she asked him.

Norrington looked at 'Smith' for a long moment as if studying him as he nodded back slowly not wanting to slice open his neck from the end of the blade resting under his chin. Norrington looked back at Elizabeth for a moment before pulling his sword back, and motioning for his soldiers to do the same as 'Smith' did his thank you prayer to Elizabeth. Norrington stepped towards 'Smith' and held out his hand, "I believe thanks are in order," he said as 'Smith' looked at his hand hesitantly for a moment before taking it. Norrington tightened his grip, pulling him towards him, and tore the sleeve up on 'Smith's' arm exposing a 'P' that looked as though it had been branded on his arm with a hot rod. As Hermione looked at it wondering what it was meant to stand for, Norrington was quick to answer her silent question, "Had a clash with the East India Trading company, did we, pirate?" Norrington asked him pointedly as 'Smith' closed his eyes like a kid who had just been caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar.

Hermione looked at him in shock, as the soldiers raised their weapons instantly. Governor Swann looked livid at these words, "Hang him," he said eyeing the pirate with undisguised disgust.

"Keep your guns on him, men," Norrington told the soldiers and then turned to one that was next to him, "Gillette, fetch some irons," he ordered as the soldier went to do what he was told. Norrington lifted the sleeve of the pirate's shirt up higher revealing a tattoo of a sparrow in flight across water, "Well, well… Jack Sparrow, isn't it?" he stated rather than asked though it seemed posed as a question.

Hermione found it difficult to keep an amused smile off her lips as Jack Sparrow answered, "Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please, sir," he answered putting emphasise on 'Captain'.

Norrington raised his eyebrows slightly before looking out at the bay, "Well, I don't see your ship... 'Captain'," he said almost mockingly.

"I'm in the market as it were," Jack answered as if he were telling Norrington a secret.

"He said he'd come to commandeer one," Murtogg explained from where he was stood behind Jack.

"Told you he was telling the truth," Mullroy said to him as he picked up Jack's effects, "These are his, sir," he told Norrington, holding out Jack's pistol and belt.

Norrington picked up the pistol, examining it before noting the powder horn on the belt, "No additional shots, nor powder," he looked at Jack as he said this, receiving a shrug before picking up the next item which was Jack's compass, and opened it. Norrington frowned in confusion as he looked at the reading, before trying to move it this way and that, keeping it parallel to the ground, and then looked at Jack with raised eyebrows, "A compass that doesn't point north," he said to chuckles from a few of the soldiers. Jack averted his eyes embarrassedly as Norrington unsheathed his sword next, and smiled at him mockingly, "And I half expected it to be made of wood," he said giving Jack a smirk as the pirate smiled back nervously. Norrington slid the sword back into the scabbard, and looked at Jack, "You are without a doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of," he said with slight disgust and a little arrogance.

Jack smiled as he raised his hands as if waiting to say something really amazing, "But you have heard of me," he said and Hermione couldn't help the small snort that escaped her, but her smile dropped as Governor Swann gave her a stern look just as Gillette walked past them with shackles and approached Jack.

Hermione looked back at Jack as he was taken over to the side and put in the shackles. Elizabeth walked forward, the jacket slipping off her shoulders. She is unconcerned by this, and shrugged off her father as he tried to place it back around her, "Commodore, I really must protest!" Elizabeth shouted from behind her and Hermione agreed.

"Carefully, Lieutenant," Norrington said ignoring Elizabeth.

Hermione stalked past him to stand in front of Jack surprising the soldiers, the Governor, Elizabeth, the Commodore, and Jack greatly, "Pirate or not, this man saved Elizabeth's life," she said a little angrily.

Norrington looked at her for a moment before sighing, "One good deed is not enough to convert a man of a lifetime of wickedness," He said firmly.

Hermione was about to retort, but Jack beat her to it, "Though it seems enough to condemn him," he put in.

Norrington glared at him, "Indeed," he answered through clenched teeth as Gillette snapped the manacles closed on Jack's wrists and moved away from him.

"Finally," Hermione heard Jack say and before she knew what was happening, he grabbed the hand and wrist of the soldier holding the pistol, yanking it out of his hands sending it flying into the water. Before anyone could react, he had thrown the manacle chain around Hermione's neck. He wasn't strangling her, but she felt slightly uncomfortable standing right up against him.

The soldiers drew their pistols again, "No! Don't shoot! You might hit my daughter!" Governor Swann shouted. Norrington quickly realised that Jack was using Hermione as a shield, and one wrong move could lead to her being shot, so he raised a cautioning hand to his men to signal for them not to make any sudden moves.

"I knew you'd warm up to me," Jack said to the soldiers before looking at Norrington, "Commodore Norrington, my effects, please," Jack said to him, before quickly adding, "And my hat." When Norrington hesitated, his fists balling in frustration, Jack tightened his hold on Hermione, "Commodore!" he said and Norrington took Jack's things off of Mullroy as Jack spun Hermione around to face him, "Elizabeth," he said and then he paused for a moment, "It is Elizabeth isn't it?" Jack asked her as Hermione frowned and shook her head.

"No, I'm Cassandra," Hermione told him as if she were speaking to a child.

"Cassie-" he was cut off.

"Cassandra!" Hermione said vehemently. She hated nicknames even if it was for a name that wasn't her own, but if she was going to be adopting the name Cassandra for the length of time she was in the past then she was not going to tolerate anything even close to a nickname.

Jack smirked slightly, "Cassandra, if you'd be so kind," he said to her as she stared back defiantly, "Come, come, dear. We don't have all day." Hermione made to grab the pistol first, but Jack was quicker than her, snatching the pistol out of her grasp before she could use it against him. She inwardly groaned, grabbing his belt, and he jerked her around so she was facing him. He smiled at her as he lazily rested his chained hands around her neck, "Now if you'd be very kind," he said, his smile widening as she glared at him as she strapped his sword to his belt, tying it tightly, "Easy on the goods, darling," he said to her as she placed his hat on his head.

"You're vile," Hermione said, but she couldn't help a tiny ghost of a smile from twitching at her lips.

"Sticks and stones, love. I saved your sisters life, you save mine, we're square," he told her and then spun her back around so that she was facing Norrington, and the soldiers once more, "Gentlemen, milady's, you will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow!" He shouted as he pushed Hermione away, Norrington catching her before she could fall. Jack turned around, kicking the belaying pin that released a cannon, and pulled him up in the air where he swung around for a few moments before he swung around and landed on a gantry above their heads, and he grabbed a second rope.

"Now, will you shoot him?" Governor Swann shouted to Norrington.

"Open fire!" Norrington shouted and the soldiers all began firing at Jack who let out a yell as the bullets sped past him. Jack twisted his chain around the rope, and used it as a rope swing that took him down towards the beach where he began running over a bridge, waving his arms about as the soldiers continued to shoot at him and missed. "On his heels," Norrington ordered them and the soldiers took chase of Jack as Norrington stopped next to Gillette and looked at him, "Gillette, Mr. Sparrow has a dawn engagement with the gallows. I would hate for him to miss it," he said and Gillette nodded as he led a group of men in the direction Jack had run in. Norrington turned towards Hermione, "Miss Swann, are you-" Norrington started to say, but Hermione cut him off.

"Yes, I'm all right, I'm fine! Go capture him!" She shouted, and Norrington looked at her, taken aback by her ire before wisely hurrying away.

Elizabeth rushed forward, hugging Hermione tightly causing the jacket to fall off from around her again. Governor Swann picked it up, placing it around her shoulders again, "Here, dear…, you should wear this," he said as Elizabeth and Hermione rolled their eyes.

Elizabeth took the jacket, shivering in the cold air now that the adrenaline had worn off. She glanced out at the bay where a thick fog moved across the top of the water, and wrapped the jacket around herself tighter, "Thank you, Father…, and let that be the last of your fashion advice, please," she whispered to him causing Hermione to laugh, but they accepted his comforting embrace.

A/N: So what do you all think? I hope you all liked it! I know it took me ages to get it up, but I've been working. Anyway please review!


	4. Bluff and Double bluff: A Pirate Revolt

_**Chapter 4: Bluff and Double bluff; A Pirate Revolt**_

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, and PotC belongs to Disney, which means I really don't have anything to do with them.**

**A/N: I am back to working on this story now. Hope you all like this next instalment. Please leave a review!**

ooOoo

The fog crept through the streets, casting an eerie twilight pall. An armed search party moved along the street, glancing down an alley next to a small café. On the far side another search party stopped, looking around the town square before nodding to each other, and continuing with their search. He waited a moment, and then Jack dropped down from his hiding place beneath the eaves of a building, still wearing his manacles. He glanced around the town square, his eyes catching sight of a shop with barn doors, a pass-through set in the middle. Next to the building was a statue of a Blacksmith hammering a sword into shape, and above the shop was a sign with a black anvil.

Jack looked around once more before running towards the Blacksmith shop, slipping through the door, and looked around the room. There were no windows; the forge was dark, lit by lanterns to stave off the dimness. There was work-in-progress items scattered about: wagon wheels, wrought iron gates, pipes, and even a cannon was propped up against a wall with a large crack in it. As his eyes moved about the room, he noticed that every tool was in place; the workbench was neat and tidy.

Jack spun around as he was startled by a noise, in the corner sat a large man in a Blacksmith's apron snoring in the corner, and cradling a bottle. Jack sauntered over towards him slowly, and gave him a hard poke, but he did not as much as stir. Jack studied him carefully for a moment before shouting out as loud as he could, but the Blacksmith just snorted, dropped the bottle, and began snoring even louder. Satisfied that he was not going to be waking up any time soon, Jack sheathed his sword, and moved over to where a Donkey was geared up to work the mechanism. He walked towards the furnace in the middle of the room, and pulled an iron rod from the fire, turning and pressed it against the Donkey's hide. The Donkey let out a pained screech before moving quickly around in a circle, and the mechanism began working.

Smiling to himself, Jack first tried to lodge the manacles in the mechanism with little success, so he grabbed a short-handled sledge from its place on the wall, and moved back to the glowing furnace. Taking a deep breath, he slowly held his right hand over the furnace so the chain dangled down into the embers until the chain began to glow. Jack was sweating, grimacing in pain, and once the chain was glowing brightly he moved quickly, wrapping the chain around the nose of the closest anvil, grabbed the sledge and brought it down with a fast hard stroke on the glowing links, shattering one of them. Jack dropped the sledge, and plunged his manacled hands into a bucket of dirty water, sighing in relief as steam billowed up around him before pulling them out, and looking proudly at his handy work.

ooOoo

Hermione watched the events happening in the town as they sped past in a carriage. For a moment, she allowed herself to think of Harry and Ron, and wondered if time had stopped in the future while she was stuck in the past. Another thing she was curious about was what happened to the real Cassandra? Would she turn up? Hermione knew she would be in trouble if she did. She shook her head, not willing to think about the consequences of what would happen to her if that did happen. Her thoughts wandered back to Ron, and she pondered on whether the Healers had found a way to revive him, or if he would be stuck in his coma.

The carriage stopped to let another pass, and Hermione shook her morbid thoughts away hoping that everything in the future was all right. She wasn't sure if she would ever get back to her time, and she had the curious feeling that she was meant to be in this time, with these people. She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind as soldiers in groups of up to 4-6 soldiers jogged past the carriage towards the town, still searching for Jack Sparrow.

As soon as Norrington had issued the order to the soldiers to find the pirate, Governor Swann had ushered Elizabeth and Hermione to a carriage, and now they were on their way back to the manor. Hermione wasn't entirely thrilled about the prospect of being stuck in the manor, while all the excitement was going on down in the town, and she had the sudden urge to jump out of the carriage while it had slowed down to let the soldiers pass and another carriage passed by. She shook her head, that would be a bad idea.

When they reached the manor, Governor Swann almost chased them inside before ordering them to go to their rooms and stay there. Elizabeth went without much of a fight, she was tired from her ordeal today, but Hermione refused to sit idly while the excitement lay outside the protection of the manor.

It was about an hour before Hermione was able to escape her room and the manor, running as fast as someone could when wearing a dress with a tight corset, and high-heeled shoes. She sprinted down the drive, hiding behind the carriage for a moment when two of the maids came out of the pantry and walked into the manor. Hermione ran down the remainder of the drive, opening the gates, and running down to the town. She kept to the shadows and the alleys as much as she could so the soldiers would not see her, and she looked around the town trying to figure out where Jack could have disappeared to. The town itself was small and quaint leaving very few hiding places, and Jack was one of those types that seemed to stick out in a crowd more so than most.

She frowned, as she looked around, trying to spot that pirates hat, when her eyes found Will walking tiredly towards the Blacksmith's shop. She looked around quickly and not seeing any soldiers nearby she called out to him, "Will!" she shouted as quietly as she could, but he didn't seem to hear her so she shouted a little louder, and he looked around, finally seeing her.

"Cassandra!?" he shouted back in astonishment. She made a shushing motion quickly, and beckoned him over to her. He frowned in bewilderment, but walked over as she leaned against the wall in a narrow alley. Will squeezed in, there wasn't much room, and leaned against the opposite wall from her, "Are you alright, Cassandra? I heard about what happened down by the pier," he said as he began looking her over, checking for wounds.

"I'm fine, Will. I wasn't hurt at all," she answered, waving off his concern.

Will nodded in relief, before frowning at her, "What are you doing out of the manor without an escort?" he asked her curiously, though he didn't appear to be surprised in the least.

"I had to escape, I didn't like the thought of being cooped up in that stuffy room when all the excitement is down here," she told him, averting her eyes from his.

Will let out a sigh, "You know your father will be furious when he realises you're gone, especially after what happened today," he said sternly, before grinning in amusement, "I had thought you would have grown out of running off when you went to University," he said, his eyes gleaming as if he was reminiscing.

"Pardon?" she asked as if she hadn't quite heard right. Moreover, she had no idea what he was talking about.

Will smiled at her, tilting his head slightly to the left, "Do you not remember, Cassandra?" he asked her, and at the small shake of her head, he sighed forlornly, "You used to run away from the manor often before your family decided to return to England so you could finish school. You would come to the shop regularly when you were younger, we would talk, and we would have mock fights with the swords," he told her with a wide smile as he shook his head, but then his eyes became sorrowful, and the smile faded, "After you went back to England, I began to miss those times," he revealed to her quietly.

Hermione was taken aback, not quite knowing what to make of his statement, but she was filled with relief at finding out that the real Cassandra used to run away from the manor, and it had been something of the norm for all the people that were associated with her. Hermione felt a blush creeping onto her cheeks as she smiled at him shyly, "I can't remember to be honest, but if I could I'm sure I would miss them as well," she whispered whilst retaining her charade, even though it made her feel uncomfortable to do so.

Will looked at her despondently, "Ah, the unfortunate loss of memory," he said before shaking his head, "I wonder what happened to you?" he asked more to himself than her.

Hermione shrugged insouciantly, "I really don't know," she answered as she looked at the ground.

For a moment, they stood silently as they both considered what happened, Hermione knowing and Will having no idea, before he sighed lightly, "Come on, let's go to the shop," he said, taking her hand, and leading her out of the alley.

ooOoo

Jack looked at his hand, flexing it and winced at the blisters forming beneath the manacle, but his hands were now free. The sound of the wooden bar being lifted and the latch of the door being opened sent Jack into a slight panic, and he dove for cover behind one of the workbenches. He watched from cover as two people came in, and he recognised the girl from the pier, "Cassandra," he whispered with a toothy grin.

Will frowned upon noticing the Donkey was turning the two wheels, and he jumped down from the platform to stop him, stroking his ears gently as Hermione came to stand next to him, "Do you always leave him working like that?" Hermione asked curiously, as she looked at the Donkey.

Will glanced at her, shaking his head in the negative before taking off his jacket, throwing it onto a table, and moved over to where a balding man was sleeping in a chair snoring softly, "Right where I left you," he said with a small smile before turning back to Hermione, "So, what do you-" he cut himself off as something caught his attention. He looked to the wall to see that there was an empty peg where the sledge should have been hanging, but it had been removed from its place, and was lying beside the anvil. As Jack watched from his hiding spot, he mentally kicked himself for not returning it to the wall.

"What is it?" Hermione asked as she walked over, noticing that Will had tensed up and was looking around the shop suspiciously. Her eyes fell on the workbench next to the anvil, and she noticed a hat lying there looking out of place, "This looks familiar," she said as she reached out to pick it up, but a sword tapping her hand gently stopped her, and she looked up at the person responsible, "Jack Sparrow," she breathed as she took a small step back.

"Ah, Miss Cassandra, a pleasure to see you again so soon," Jack said as he bowed slightly.

Will's eyes widened slightly before he narrowed them, "You know him?" he asked Hermione as he began moving casually toward the sledge.

"We've met," Hermione answered, shrugging her shoulders slightly as if she wasn't too concerned, but she did twist her hand around, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she felt her wand press into her wrist.

"And here we are meeting again! Must be fate," Jack said spreading his arms out and Will took that opportunity to grab for the sledge, but Jack slapped his hand with the sword causing Will to jump back.

Jack walked around the workbench, levelling the sword at Will, and backed him up towards the door. Will glared at him, "You're the one they're hunting. The pirate," he said as he quickly glanced at Hermione who was slowly moving towards the back of the room.

Jack tipped his head in acknowledgement, before frowning as he regarded Will properly, "You seem somewhat familiar. Have I threatened you before?" he asked curiously, as he moved towards him, momentarily forgetting about Hermione.

Will glared at him, "I make a point of avoiding familiarity with pirates," he said heatedly.

Jack smirked slightly, "Ah, well, then it would be a shame to put a black mark on your record. So, if you'll excuse me…" he bowed slightly just as Hermione reached the grindstone where there were swords resting in the honing guide, and as he turned from Will he was suddenly looking down the end of the sword Hermione had grabbed. Jack tilted his head slightly as he smiled at her, before turning back towards Will to find he had also retrieved a sword from one of the pillars, and pointed at him also, "Do you think this wise, crossing blades with a pirate?" he asked, directing the question at Hermione more than Will.

Hermione lowered the sword slightly, but kept a firm grip on it, "Probably not, but it's all I can think of doing at the moment," she answered quietly.

Will's eyes flashed angrily, "You are the pirate that threatened Cassandra!" he roared as he raised his sword slightly higher.

"I would call it more being forced to apply him with his equipment to avoid being strangled," Hermione put in as she lowered her sword slightly.

Jack smiled at her and then turned back to look at Will with an arched eyebrow, "See, only a little. Not to mention I needed some way to escape, did I not? She was the perfect way out," Jack said as Will, in his anger, swung his sword slightly, clashing it with Jack's so he could purposefully get in front of Hermione and protect her. Will then assumed an en garde position, and Jack couldn't help but appraise him, feeling disappointed that Will actually seemed to know what he was doing. Jack attacked then, and the two men stood in one place trading feints, thrusts, and parries with lightning speed, almost impossible to follow and Hermione lowered her sword, stepping back so she wouldn't get into the middle of it, or get hit. She was impressed to see that Will had no trouble matching Jack, "You know what you're doing. I'll give you that. Excellent form, but how's your footwork? If I step here…" he stepped to the side in an imaginary circle, one foot crossing over the other to his left and Will followed perfectly, "…Very good. Now I step again," he said as he struck at Will a couple of times, and Hermione realised that they were now exactly opposite of their initial positions. Jack had obviously realised this as well, and saluted Will, "Ta," he said mockingly before turning and ran towards the door, which was directly behind him, and sheathed his sword.

"Will!" Hermione shouted as Will registered this now with angry surprise, and then with a vicious overhand motion, he threw his sword and it buried itself into the door just above the latch, barely missing Jack who looked at the sword in amazement. Hermione, remembering her wand, quickly shot a sticking charm on it discreetly.

Jack growled slightly as he pulled on the latch, but it would not budge because the sword was now in the way. He rattled the latch, and tried tugging on the sword a few times, but it was really stuck in there. Mouthing a curse, Jack turned back to Will with a grin, "That is a wonderful trick…, except, once again you are both between me and my way out," he told them as he looked between them, "and now you have no weapon," he added pointedly to Will as he stepped back down off the platform. Eyes on Jack, Will simply sidestepped to his right, picking up a new sword that was burning in the furnace, the tip glowing brightly, and Jack slumped in dismay before leaping forward.

Hermione sat on the bench as she watched Will and Jack duel, "This is just ridiculous," she murmured as she shook her sleeve to free the tip of her wand just in case she needed it.

She watched as their blades flashed and rung as they clashed together, and she stood in worry as Jack abruptly began swinging the chain still manacled to his left hand at Will's head. She felt relief as Will ducked it, but he was wide-eyed. Jack swung the chain around again, smashing it across Will's sword, which effectively disarmed him again. Will was not fazed as he turned, quickly picking up another sword, and Jack paused as he suddenly became aware that the entire room was filled with bladed weapons ranging from swords, knives, and boarding axes in all sizes and in various stages of completion. Jack's eyes widened slightly in fear before they began fighting again, moving around the room, "Who makes all these?" Jack shouted out, as he looked around the room at all the weapons.

"I do! And I practice with them… three hours a day!" Will shouted back as he struck at Jack.

"You need to find yourself a girl, mate!" Jack retorted as he clashed swords with Will again, "Or perhaps the reason you practice three hours a day is that you already found one, and are otherwise incapable of wooing said strumpet," he smirked as he looked at Hermione pointedly before looking back at Will with a horrified expression, "You're not a eunuch, are you?" he asked as he pointedly looked down.

Will, coiling even more tightly with anger, swung his sword and hit Jack's hard enough to send him stumbling backwards, "I practice three hours a day so that when I meet a pirate, I can kill it!" he shouted as they continued fighting once more.

Hermione looked on in slight fear as they continued to fight around her, "Do you have to fight while I'm just standing here!" she shouted at them. They briefly stopped to look at her, but continued right after that, and Hermione shook her head and leaned against a table. She quickly pulled her hand back as Jack jumped up on the table she was leaning on and Will ran past her and jumped up on the table as well.

Jack managed to disarm Will again with his chains. Will was furious now, he kicked a rack, causing a sword to fall into his hand, and then used his foot to bring his dropped sword up into the air, catching it and attacked Jack, both blades flashing dangerously. Jack, feeling slightly worried, parried with his sword, whilst trying to disarm one of the swords with his chains, and he managed to wrap it around the sword, but Will was betting on this as he quickly twisted the handle of his guard through a link, and thrust the sword up into the ceiling. Jack's left manacled hand was now suspended from the ceiling and he knew this was not good, but he continued to parry using one hand, twisting and dodging around the furnace, their swords clashing together forming sparks.

Jack twisted to the side to avoid being skewered, and a sudden idea popped into his head as he looked at the bellows. Blowing a shower of sparks into Will's face, Jack grabbed the chain and hoisted himself up, using his momentum to swing and kick Will, knocking him back. Using his full weight, he managed to yank the sword from the ceiling, and picked up a nearby mallet, which he hurled at Will, hitting the Blacksmith on the wrist causing him to drop his sword again and he fall to the ground.

Will shook his head, and got to his feet as Jack aimed his pistol directly at his face. Hermione stepped over to them, directly in from of the back exit as Will rubbed his wrist gingerly and glared at Jack, "You cheated," he muttered darkly as his glare intensified.

Jack smirked at this as if to say, 'what did you expect?', "Pirate," he said simply in answer as if this was the only excuse he needed. Banging could be heard on the door as the soldiers tried to get in upon hearing the commotion. Jack looked at the door in alarm, before taking a step forward only now realising that Hermione was blocking the back exit, "Move away," Jack warned her.

"No," Hermione answered as Will came to stand next to her, his sword pointed at Jack threateningly.

Jack looked back at the door as another, louder bang was heard, "Please move," he said again, almost pleadingly this time, as he pointed the pistol at Hermione and then Will.

"No! I cannot just step aside and let you escape," Will shouted defiantly.

Jack cocked his pistol, pointing it at Will for a long moment, but to Hermione it seemed as though he really did not want to shoot. "This shot is not meant for you," he whispered cryptically with a sigh as he uncocked the pistol surprising Will and Hermione who began reassessing the Pirate, but before they could say or do anything there was a smash of broken glass, and Jack crumpled to the ground unconscious revealing Mr Brown standing behind him holding his now-broken bottle.

Just then, the front and back doors banged open, and the soldiers filled the room heading over to them with their guns trained on Jack. Norrington pushed forward through the throngs of soldiers and smiled upon seeing Jack on the ground, "Excellent work, Mr Brown. You've assisted in the capture of a dangerous fugitive," he praised as Hermione frowned and gently squeezed Will's hand as he sighed because it always seemed that other people got praise for his accomplishments.

"Just doing my civic duty, sir," Mr Brown slurred, still drunk even though he had been sleeping.

Jack let out a pained groan from the ground, and Norrington's smile widened, "Well, I trust you will always remember this as the day that Captain Jack Sparrow almost escaped. Take him away," Norrington ordered to the soldiers and they picked him up, carrying him out of the Blacksmith's.

Will watched them go, his hand tightening around Hermione's slightly. He looked back at Mr Brown who growled angrily, taking in his broken bottle, "That ratter broke my bottle!" he shouted before chucking it into the corner, and shaking his head as if his world had come to an end.

Will smiled and shook his head as Hermione giggled, and this action seemed to catch Norrington's attention as he looked over, finally noticing Hermione and he frowned, "Miss Swann, what are you doing here?" he asked in a bored tone.

Hermione glanced at Will before looking back at Norrington, "I…, uh…," she tried, but could not get the words out.

Norrington sighed, shaking his head and turned to Will, "Mr Turner, I trust you will escort her home this instant," Norrington ordered Will before turning on his heel and walking out.

"Better do as he says," Will muttered as he put his sword back, "Come on," he beckoned her as he led her out of the, shop and through the town towards the Governor's manor.

**A/N: I am now concentrating fully on this story, as Return of the Elves is now complete. I hope you all liked this chapter :) Please leave a review!**


	5. A Friendly Drink with an Acquaintance

_**Chapter 5: A Friendly Drink with an Old Acquaintance**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean nor do I own Harry Potter. I only own the plot of this story.**_

_**A/N: Hello here is another chapter for you all. I hope you all like it and please leave me a review.**_

ooOoo

The thick fog that had started coming in from the ocean was now blanketing the entire bay and the town. The only structure visible from the distance was Fort Charles, high on the bluff like a tall ship sailing a sea of grey. Above the Fort was a clear black sky sprinkled with stars, a waxing moon shone, giving both the Fort and the Fog an eerie glow.

As Hermione followed Will through the town, she took a moment to look around at all the shops and buildings, their architect and brickwork were no longer used in her time, and it was fascinating to look at. Hermione stopped as a sort of restaurant came into view, and she looked through the window at the curious round tables and elegantly carved chairs. Will smiled at her gently and then looked through the window himself, "Whenever you had one of your escapades, and I was ordered to walk you home, I always used to take you in here for a drink and a little chat," he revealed and Hermione smiled at him, nodding slightly. She looked back at the restaurant, frowning as she felt a strange sense of recognition come over her, and placed a hand to her forehead in confusion as she looked at Will with widened eyes. Will frowned at her in concern before taking her arm gently, "Are you alright, Cassandra?" he asked as he looked at her pale face.

Hermione averted her eyes, before looking back at him, "Yes, I'm alright, but…" she trailed off as she looked at the restaurant again, "I feel as though I know this place," she whispered more to herself than to him. _That's impossible though, I've never been to this time, so how could I know this place?_ She thought in confusion as her frown deepened.

Will smiled at her words, "Do you remember, Cassandra?" he asked her, excitement showing in his tone.

She shook her head, momentarily forgetting he was standing there, "No, it is not possible," she mumbled so quietly that even though Will was standing right next to her and had tried to strain his ears to hear her, he still did not catch what she had said.

"I'm sorry, Cassandra, but what did you say?" he asked her curiously as he waited for her to repeat what she had said.

Hermione looked up at him, remembering that he was still there, and she was relieved he had not heard what she had said, "It's nothing, Will, don't worry. Shall we go in?" she asked him, putting on a smile to reassure him.

Will frowned at her uncertainly before mentally shrugging it off and smiled brightly, "Of course we can. After you," he offered charmingly as he opened the door, and bowed her in. Hermione smiled at him as she passed, and he closed the door after them. He took her hand, and led her to one of the more secluded parts of the shop, pulling out a chair for her, and she sat down gratefully as her heels were killing her. If Will hadn't been there she would have charmed her shoes to be comfortable to walk in and wished she'd thought of it that morning when she had put them on. She returned Will's smile as he sat down across from her, handing her the menu with all the drinks listed.

Hermione frowned as she looked at the strange names listed in the menu; none of them seemed familiar and they looked foreign. She glanced up from the menu as a man, obviously the waiter from how he was dressed, stopped at their table and smiled politely, "What will you have?" he asked them as he looked between them.

Will smiled as he placed his menu down and linked his fingers together, "The Crissclinde," he answered confidently and the waiter wrote it down in his book before turning to Hermione, but she stared back blankly having no idea what to order. Will, noticing her hesitation, placed his hand on hers gently; causing her to look at him, "What is wrong?" he asked worriedly, as the waiter looked on in curiosity.

Hermione shook her head as she gestured to the menu, "I have no idea what any of these drinks are," she answered with a blush, before looking at the waiter, "I'm sorry to trouble you," she added as her blush deepened, and she looked down embarrassed.

The waiter chuckled slightly, "No trouble at all," he assured her.

"Thank you," Hermione answered with a smile before looking at Will, "I can't remember what drink I used to have here," she told him as she looked back at the waiter who was patiently waiting for her order with a small smile on his face.

Will chuckled lightly, "You were very picky back in the day, and you never chose the same one each time, but if I remember correctly…" he trailed off as he looked at the menu again, before smiling at her and continuing, "I think you particularly enjoyed the Lidniesse," he told her and Hermione smiled in thanks.

"I'll take that," she told the waiter who wrote it down in his book, and Hermione placed her menu back on the table in front of her neatly.

The waiter smiled, "Excellent choice, Ma'am," he advised as he scribbled something else in his book, "One Crissclinde and one Lidniesse coming right up," he confirmed before walking away to retrieve their order.

Hermione waited until he was out of earshot before speaking, "I am so sorry, Will! That must have been really embarrassing for you," she said quickly who instantly shook his head in the negative.

"Do not worry about it, Cassandra, it is fine. I am not embarrassed in the slightest, just slightly amused by the whole ordeal. You losing your memory has certainly been somewhat of a highlight to this dreary time," he answered with a laugh, waving off her apology, and Hermione couldn't help but smile.

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him, "So the loss of my memory is a joke to you, Will?" she asked good-humouredly.

Will's smile dropped and he sobered instantly thinking that he may have unintentionally insulted her, "No! No of course it is not! It is a terrible thing to have happened! I just-" she cut him off.

"Will I'm joking!" she said quickly as she shook her head smiling, and he returned her smile with relief.

The waiter then returned with their drinks, setting them on the table, and Hermione eyed Will's and her own with fascination. The colour of her own drink was a very dark green with a swirl of red on top that seemed to go straight through the middle of the drink. It looked ghastly in her opinion, but she was impressed as to how cleverly it was made. Will's, on the other hand, was a very pale blue that looked a lot nicer than hers did, and as she looked back down at her own she began to wish she had just asked for the same thing.

Will took a sip of his own drink before realising that Hermione was staring at hers with dread, and he tried to keep the smile off his face, "Are you going to stare at it, or drink it?" he asked her in amusement.

Hermione's eyes snapped up to his, and she blushed upon realising she must have looked like a fool frowning at her drink, "It looks ghastly," she answered as she looked back down at it.

Hermione looked back at him in surprise as he chuckled, "Wow déjà vu," he explained as he shook his head.

"How so?" she asked interestedly.

He crossed his arms, and leaned forward a little, "That is exactly the same thing you said the first time you ever ordered the Lidniesse," he answered as he nodded towards the drink in question, "Then it turned out to be a favourite of yours," he added as the mirth in his eyes was replaced by a slight melancholy as if he was remembering a time long past.

Hermione frowned at his expression, but smiled at him to break the silence that had come over them, "Is it really?" she asked putatively before placing the straw in her mouth, and took a sip of the green drink. She was instantly overcome by the gorgeous taste of apples, raspberries, and cinnamon combined, and she looked up at Will in shock having not expected it to be so nice.

"It's good, right?" he asked her with a grin.

She took another sip, "It's very good," she replied with a smile and then took a longer drink of the sweet cocktail. Hermione glanced back at him, gesturing to his own drink, "So what is yours like?" she enquired, and without a word Will pushed his towards her, and she took a small sip, tasting blueberries and something else she couldn't place, "What is that?" she asked as she pushed it back towards him.

Will smiled, "It is a blueberry cocktail with a hint of peach," he answered before taking a drink himself.

"That's really nice," she told him as she took another drink of her own.

As she looked back at him, his attention seemed to be drawn to the window where she could just make out the stone parapets of the Fort and the pier, which were slightly visible in the deep fog that seemed to have settled in abundance. Like a shark fin slicing through the water, the topmast of a ship came into view, the black sails billowing. Flying from the mast was a flag with a white Aztec skull.

She frowned as, out of nowhere, ripples formed suddenly on the surface of their drinks, and they looked at each other in curiosity. Will stood, indicating for her to remain seated as a whistling sound split the air outside, and a large explosion sounded in the distance. He walked cautiously towards the window and peered out, catching sight of the Fort, which was on fire; one of the walls had collapsed. His eyes widened as he looked back at the ship that was moving closer towards the port, he could only see the Aztec flag before the cannon fire lit it up, revealing the frayed sails. It was a pirate ship, this much was certain to Will, and he quickly pulled back from the window as he bore witness to a shop across the street exploding.

Another whistle and a resounding boom as the wall of the parapet exploded. The ship still could not be seen fully, but the fog lit up around her with each boom of her guns. She was firing on both sides now, hammering both the Fort and the town.

Will, realising that they were not safe inside a building, ran back over to where Hermione was sitting in the corner with wide eyes, "I need to get to my shop! Now! Come on!" he shouted in a slight panic as he grabbed her arm, and pulled her out of the shop behind him.

Hermione followed him in foreboding as she took in the carnage of the town. Streets, buildings, the docks, and the ships shattered and exploded beneath the onslaught. Everywhere, villagers were panicking, running for cover, and dodging flying debris as best as they could. Hermione began to think this was hell on earth, she just did not realise how correct she was in her assumption, as long boats emerged from the fog, carrying armed pirates. They stopped for a moment, looking on as the pirates swarmed from the boats and began striking down the villagers indiscriminately, and set fire to the buildings.

They continued running, jumping over bodies of the fallen that had been within range of the blasts, and debris of the buildings that had been devastated by the cannon fire. Hermione gasped as she tripped over a body, falling to the ground, causing Will to reach down and help her back to her feet, "What the hell is going on!?" she screamed as she looked around at the massacre. Will was just about to answer as the pirates swarmed into the town, killing the townsfolk, and throwing bombs at the buildings, "Never mind! Let's go!" she shouted as they began running again towards the Blacksmiths.

As they reached the shop, Will pushed the doors open, pulling her in and bolted the door quickly behind them. Hermione ran down the steps, grabbing one of the swords that were hanging from the machinery. Will ran over to her and attempted to take the sword from her, "I will not let you fight," he told her adamantly as he managed to pry the sword from her.

Hermione shook her head as she tried to regain the sword, but it was proving problematic as Will was stronger than she was, "I will not wait here while you go out there and endanger your life!" she shouted irritably as she pulled at the sword.

Will dropped the sword out of her reach, gently pushing her back against the wall, and held her arms down at her sides, effectively trapping her so she couldn't fight him, "No, I want you to stay here," he whispered as the shouts and screams outside became louder.

"You have no say in the matter," she retorted indignantly as she tried to get free, but Will held firmly.

"I cannot allow it whether I have a say or not!" he shouted in fierce determination, but calmed himself down, and touched her cheek gently with the back of his hand, "I almost lost you once; I do not want that to happen again," he told her, his eyes holding a sorrow that she felt would never be explained, but his determination outweighed that.

Hermione frowned up at him, momentarily stopping her struggle, "What are you talking about?"

Will averted his eyes, pulling away from her, "It does not matter," he answered, grabbing the sword she had taken from the machinery, and began heading towards the bolted door. Almost without noticing, he also reached for a broading axe hanging on the wall, taking it down; it was a satisfying weight in his hands. He stopped as he slipped it into his belt at the small of his back before grabbing some dirks and affording them a place in his belt as well before grabbing a second axe. He then continued towards the door, and began unbolting it.

Hermione watched him for a moment, before running after him, grabbing his arm, which made him turn back to her, "It does matter, Will. I can see it in your eyes," she said gently, but he looked away from her, "Fine if you don't want to tell me then okay, but please don't leave me in here where there is more chance of them finding me, or this place getting blown up while I'm in here," she reasoned, and he looked back at her thoughtfully which she took as a good sign, so she continued, "The best chance of you protecting me is if I stay with you. Does that not make more sense?"

Will frowned for a moment, and she could tell he was having an internal battle with himself. Finally, he sighed in exasperation, "Stay close," he told her, sliding the doors of the forge open and ran out. Hermione grabbed another sword quickly before following him.

Will paused to wait for her, as a woman ran past being chased by a one-armed pirate wearing a yellow bandana so he backhanded the axe he was carrying square into the pirate's chest, a deadly blow. He nodded at Hermione as they began heading up the street. Hermione glanced at Will as they ran, and discreetly pulled out her wand, shooting spells at the pirates, but only the stunner seemed to have any sort of effect on them. It caused them to stumble backwards or fall, but they got to their feet again and continued. Hermione frowned as she stared at her wand, wondering why it was not working properly. Growling in annoyance, she put her wand back up the sleeve of her dress, deciding that now was not the best time to try to figure out the reasons behind her wand not working.

She continued to follow Will through the town, opting instead to use the sword she had grabbed, swinging it at the pirates, and catching a few as she passed. Will threw his axe at a pirate that was chasing a group of villagers, and it embedded itself in his back making him fall. As they ran past, Hermione swooped down and pulled the axe from the pirates back, and continued to follow Will.

Two pirates stopped them in their tracks, gruesome smiles upon their faces, and Will looked at Hermione worriedly for a moment. Hermione nodded at him, "You take the left one," she said and he hesitantly nodded before turning to fight the pirate. Hermione dodged the sword of the other pirate, before attacking back with her sword and the axe she had retrieved. The axe sliced the pirate's leg, making him fall to his knees, and she swung around gaining momentum and lodged the axe in the pirate's chest just as Will stabbed the pirate he was fighting. The two pirates defeated, the two companions continued running, but stopped as something shot past them very fast with a resounding whistle into the building to their right which exploded, and they dived to the ground to avoid the debris.

Will moved towards Hermione as she began sitting up, and he grabbed her just as the building collapsed and he used his body to shield her from the tumbling rubble. The dust cleared somewhat, and Hermione looked up at the sky through the gap in Will's arms towards where the moon was obscured slightly by the smoke rising from the burning gallows and wooden rooftops. Cannon fire continued to rain down on the town and the Fort, but there were now two sets of booms as the Fort's own cannons returned fire at the pirate ship.

Will released Hermione and helped her to her feet, "Come on, we need to get to the Governor's Mansion," he told her and they continued running, momentarily free of the pirates. As the mansion came into view in the distance through the smoke, they could see figures moving away from it. It took them a moment to register that one of the figures was Elizabeth, and she was being forcefully dragged by two pirates towards the docks.

Elizabeth seemed to spot them, and her eyes widened, "Cassandra! Will!" she shouted at them.

"Elizabeth!" they shouted in unison as they hurried after the pirates to help her, but one stepped out in front of them from the shadows of a burning building. They registered suddenly that he was the same pirate that Will had thrown the axe at earlier, and the two of them shared a look of confusion as the pirate smiled and waved.

At their feet, a bomb was lit and Will grabbed Hermione around the waist just as the fuse reached the inside of the bomb, but it didn't explode. The pirate looked at the bomb in confusion just as another one landed, and the pirate smiled again, "Say goodbye," he said as the fuse reached the inside of the bomb again, but the same thing happened and the pirate growled angrily.

Will and Hermione looked at each other as a cannon hit the building next to them. They stepped back as a sign that was hanging up came crashing down into the pirate, sending him flying into the building next to them, "Goodbye," Will muttered sombrely as he took Hermione's hand, pulling her towards where they had seen the pirates dragging Elizabeth.

Suddenly, a pirate leapt out from the shadows, swinging a chain towards them dangerously, and Will raised his sword in defence, stepping in front of Hermione to protect her. Will stepped back before taking in the pirate's appearance; he had one arm and was wearing a yellow bandana. He hesitated slightly as he looked on in confusion again; he had already killed this guy as well hadn't he? In his hesitation, another pirate sidled up to Hermione swinging a flaming torch, slamming her in the back of the head with a bottle. Will stumbled as she hit the back of his legs, and his concern for Hermione distracted him from the pirates', and he crumpled to the ground next to her as the pirate hit him as well.

The pirates looked down at them, before the one that hit them lit a second torch and handed it to the other one. Hooting with delight, they ran off in opposite directions, setting fires as they went.

On the ground, neither Hermione nor Will moved.

ooOoo

Up in the Fort, pirates' that had been imprisoned in cells awaiting their execution dived out of the way as the wall exploded inward. Jack, who was in a cell by himself next to that one, pulled himself out from under the rubble. Moonlight spilled in through the gaping hole created by the cannon ball. Beyond it, so close, yet so far was his freedom, but it was centred on the other cell, and the part of the wall in his cell that had blown inward was too small for a man to slip through.

"Praise be!" one of the prisoners shouted as he and the other two scrambled through. He turned back to look at Jack before climbing through the gap, "My sympathies, friend, you've no manner of luck at all!" he said as he followed his companions, descending the rocks beyond, and disappearing from Jack's view.

Jack was now alone as the cannon fire continued, occasionally hitting, and shaking the Fort. He looked out into the hallway as a dog whimpered, cowering under a long bench, the key ring still dangling from his mouth. Jack clicked his tongue, sighing as he resigned himself to attempting another way out of his prison. Grabbing a bone from a skeleton in the corner, he reached out through the bars and tried to coax the dog towards him, "Okay doggie, it's just you and me now. Come here, boy. Come here, Spot. Rover? Or is your name Fido?" he said and at the last name, to his surprise, the dog crawled out from under the bench, and Jack twirled the bone around to coax him closer. The dog inched closer, and Jack was relieved as the key ring was nearly within his reach, but suddenly the dog's attention became drawn to the main door in the cell block, and he bristled and growled. He backed away from Jack's cell, whining. Jack frowned, "What's the matter, boy?" he asked him, but the dog whined again and bolted through the bars into the other cell, and out through the breached wall taking the keys with him.

As Jack tried to get his head around the fact that his only hope of escape had just jumped out of the window, figuratively speaking, the door to the cellblock burst open, and a pair of pirates' descended the steps, and Jack recognised them as Koehler and Twigg. They looked around, "This isn't the armoury," Twigg muttered as he kicked a stick that the dog had been chewing on earlier in the night.

They turned to leave, but Koehler spotted Jack who was still kneeling on the floor by the bars, still holding the bone limply in his hand, "Well, well, look what we have here, Twigg," he said in a strong Dutch accent, his tone laced with amusement, "It's 'Captain' Jack Sparrow," he finished as Twigg turned towards the cell.

Twigg grinned, and not too kindly, at Jack, "Huh, last time I saw you, you were all alone on a God-forsaken island, shrinking into the distance. I had heard you'd gotten off, but I didn't believe it," he said, as he looked Jack up and down in undisguised disgust.

"Did you sprout little wings and fly away?" Koehler laughed as Twigg chuckled.

They took in the dingy cell Jack was kneeling on the floor in, "His fortunes aren't improved much," Twigg said thoughtfully as he tested the bars to see how strong they were and the two laughed.

Jack was not amused at all, and he stood up, stepping forward so he was close to the bars, and this put him in a spill of moonlight. He was tight with fury, "Worry about your own fortunes, gents. The lowest circle of hell is reserved for betrayers…, and mutineers," he answered calmly, but on the inside he was boiling with anger. Not liking that, Twigg swore angrily and Koehler lashed out, grabbing Jack by the throat through the bars. Jack clutched at the pirates wrist, but instead of the skin he was expecting, he looked down to see that where the moonlight was on the arm, Koehler's lower arm, wrist, and hand had become skeletal. Jack's eyed went wide, and he moved his hand quickly from the skeletal arm in disgust, "You are cursed!" Jack shouted in shock as Koehler sneered, shoving Jack backwards, hard. He stumbled, but stayed standing as Koehler pulled his arm back, and it turned back to normal. Jack stared before realising, "The stories are true then. That is interesting," he muttered, his eyes lighting up slightly at this new revelation.

Koehler turned, ushering Twigg towards the door, but looked back before he went up the stairs, "You know nothing of hell," he growled angrily before running up the stairs after Twigg.

Jack looked back down at his hands before smirking slightly, "That is very interesting," he muttered before sighing, and began looking for another way out of his prison.

_**A/N: Hello, I know these chapters have been short, but I am finding it difficult to make them long for some reason :( I apologise, but I hope you liked it anyway. Please leave a review!**_


	6. A Crazy Masterful Plan

_**Chapter 6: A Crazy Masterful Plan**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to PotC nor HP as they remain the properties of their respective owners. I do own the plot though and any additional characters I add. Also, familiar dialogue is from the PotC films which belongs Disney and the director Gore Verbinski.**_

_**A/N: Here is the next chapter! What will the gorgeous William and the lovely Hermione do about Elizabeth? Read and find out! Oh and please review as well because I love hearing what you all think of this story! Also, please read and review my other two stories, which are both Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings crossovers if that interests you! They are both completed now!**_

ooOoo

The Black Pearl sat silently out in the sea; she was a tall galleon, her black sails looming high above her. At her bow was an ornately carved figurehead of a beautiful woman, her arm held high, and a small bird was taking wing from her outstretched hand. The fog that had ascended on the town was now beginning to dissipate, turning into a light mist, and through it, the Black Pearl turned in the ocean, making for the scarlet glow of dawn.

Will kept his eyes closed; he felt as though someone had hit him over the head with a very large mallet when he slipped out of unconsciousness. His head was throbbing, and the bright sunlight streaming down on where he was lying was not helping in the slightest. He splayed his hands, feeling the rough surface of cobbled stone beneath his fingertips, and opened his eyes wondering why he was lying outside in the first place. Then suddenly the events of the previous night came back to him like a harsh slap to the face, and he sat up with a start as he looked around for Cassandra.

The pain in his head was blinding, and he pressed a hand to his forehead as he became dizzy from the sudden movement before looking down at a curious weight that was pinning his left arm in place. There he found Cassandra who had seemingly been knocked out herself, and from the cold morning breeze coming off the ocean, and the climbing sun appearing above the horizon, Will suddenly got the sinking feeling that Governor Swann was either going to be frantic with thinking the pirates had kidnapped both his daughters, or he was going to be a very angry father in thinking she hadn't returned from running away. When she did return, she would have to be prepared for his fury.

Will sighed as he gently shook Cassandra and he couldn't help, but smile slightly as she mumbled something along the lines of 'It wasn't me' before she opened her eyes, and looked up at him in confusion. Her eyes then widened and she sat up quickly, but grabbed her head like he had done from the following pain and dizziness that the action sprung.

"We need to get to the Governor's Mansion, Cassandra," he said and she nodded, praying that last night they had made a mistake and Elizabeth was safe at the mansion. As they stood, they took in the devastation of Port Royal: the harbour was dotted with burning and sunken ships; buildings were razed and still smouldering. It was the aftermath of hell on earth. They turned and began running up the path to the Governor's Mansion, and eventually they were running through the smashed front doors, and looked around the foyer where furniture had been toppled, and ornaments were smashed on the marble floors, "Miss Swann! Elizabeth!" Will shouted into the mansion, but only a terrible silence answered him as he spotted an overturned chair, and on the left where the doors to the library used to be he could see fallen bookshelves, "Governor Swann!?" he shouted out, but there was still no answer, and his heart leapt into his throat in fear.

Hermione felt tears come to her eyes, "Elizabeth," she whispered before turning on her heel to run down towards the pier, but Will grabbed her arm, and she stared at him in disbelief, "What are you doing, Will!? They've taken Elizabeth! We have to go after her!" she shouted at him as her tears spilled forth.

Will pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair as she cried, "I know, Cassandra, but we cannot just grab a boat and go. We will need help," he reasoned with her as he pulled away and looked into her eyes, "We need a plan before we sail off needlessly. We need a heading," he explained and she nodded, trying to calm down her emotions.

Her own reactions to this plight were becoming frightening to her. These were people she barely knew, yet she felt a strong connection to them she could not explain. She suddenly wished Harry and Ron were with her, and then she would not feel so alone. A small sob escaped her again as she thought of them, wishing with all her heart she was with them laughing and joking down by the Black Lake like they used to, or sitting in the courtyard reading while they talked about Quidditch, and other such things that had never interested her. Now, in the light of her predicament, she suddenly realised how precious the things they had did or said really were, and she found herself wondering if she would ever see them again.

The emotions she was feeling now whilst in this time were completely unexpected though, but they were definitely real. She had no idea what was coming over her, it was not like her to act or think irrationally without planning ahead first, but it was almost as if someone else's emotions were taking over her body, and for a single moment she allowed herself to wonder if she had actually been transferred into Cassandra's body, meaning she was actually living Cassandra's life. However, as the thought crossed her mind, she realised how ridiculous that notion was. Shaking her head to rid herself of those weird thoughts, she allowed Will to lead her away from the Governor's Mansion.

It was a few minutes before she realised that Will was leading her towards the Fort, "Why are we going to the Fort?" she asked him curiously.

Will stopped and sighed, he knew she was not going to like his answer, "That is where the Commodore will be, which means your father is also likely to be there, and he will be frantic about your whereabouts. I will speak to them about going and rescuing Elizabeth, but I must ask that you stay here and out of harm's way, Cassandra. I will not allow any more danger to come to you," he told her firmly as he pulled her along beside him.

Hermione pulled her hand from his angrily, "I am not a child, William!" she hissed, and he stopped walking, not at all surprised at her outburst, "I will not sit idly while my sister is in the company of pirates and is god-knows-where by now! I am going with you whether you like it or not!" she shouted as she stomped past him, and continued up the hill.

Will sighed again as he ran to catch up with her, "I do not like this, Cassandra," he whispered to her as he shook his head.

Hermione growled, turning to him as her eyes flashed dangerously, "I do not give a damn whether you like it or not, William! I am going! End of conversation," she told him defiantly.

Will frowned, but decided that he really did not want to anger her further, "To stop this disagreement pursuing to worse levels, I will agree to let you come along. However, your father is a completely different matter altogether as I do not see him letting you come," he advised her as he took her hand again, and they continued up the hill.

Hermione glanced at him with a frown as they walked, "Who said anything about asking him? I, for one, do not intend on asking anyone for permission to do anything, nor do I need it. I am an adult, I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions, and I am going after Elizabeth whether you come with me or not," Hermione told him as he stopped walking and tugged her hand slightly, looking at her with concern. Her face softened as did her voice as she continued, "All I am asking is that you help me, Will. Please, don't leave me to do this on my own," she requested quietly and Will pulled her into the comfort of his arms.

"I would go with you whether you wanted me to or not. I care for you and Elizabeth and I would see no harm come to either of you," he told her sincerely and Hermione smiled at him. Will smiled back as he took her hand and they continued up to the Fort.

As they reached the Fort, Will and Hermione barged past the guards and into the square where Norrington had had his promotional ceremony, and they stormed over to where the Commodore and the Governor were standing near to some cannons. A table was in front of them, covered in charts, maps and navigational equipment, and Norrington seemed to be making some markings on the map as she approached, "Commodore," she called in as calm a voice as she could muster.

Governor Swann looked up then, and his eyes widened, "Cassandra!" he shouted in joy as he quickly rounded the table to her side and embraced her. Hermione returned it for a moment, somewhat awkwardly, before gently pushing him away as Will came to stand by her side.

She eyed the Commodore with undisguised anger, "Elizabeth was taken by those scoundrels that call themselves pirates, and I demand we go after them to rescue her!" she shouted, her voice quivering with rage. Most grown men would have cowered at her fury, which most of the soldiers did whereas the Governor looked at her in shock, and Norrington continued to make markings on the map that was so large it draped over the table, and the far end was supported by a chair. His complete disregard to her request angered her further so she stormed over, snatching the quill out of the Commodore's hand to gasps of shock from those looking on.

Norrington finally looked up, "Governor Swann, I expect better manners from your daughter," he said in a bored tone as the Governor glowered at Hermione, but she kept her eyes on Norrington as he continued, "but considering the situation I think we can let this behaviour slide." He sighed for a moment before looking at both of them, "We are aware of the situation," he confirmed to them before taking the quill back off Hermione, and turned back to the map.

Will was getting severely pissed off, and he glared at the Commodore, "You claim to care for Elizabeth, yet I see absolutely nothing being done to go after her! We should hunt them down, and save her!" he shouted angrily.

Norrington glanced at him before looking back at the map, "Mr Murtogg remove Mr Turner from these premises. He has no authority to be here," he ordered and Murtogg went to grab Will, but Hermione rushed forward, pushing him away.

"Cassandra, have more respect!" Governor Swann said in shock as he helped Murtogg back to his feet, but his words fell on deaf ears as Hermione glared at Norrington again.

"I overheard Jack Sparrow mentioning the Black Pearl, and if I am not mistaken that is the very pirate ship that attacked Port Royal last night. If we speak to him and make a deal he may give us a lead to it," she reasoned with him as she tried to keep her anger in check.

"He only mentioned it really," Mullroy put in from behind Will.

"It doesn't matter whether he mentioned it or not. The way he spoke of it made it sound as though he knew more than what he was letting on," Hermione said rounding on him, and he took a step back as if she was going to attack him as well.

Governor Swann shook his head instantly, "That pirate tried to kill you, Cassandra! We could never trust a word he said!" he said sternly as he took her arm.

"But we could strike a bargain-" Will began, but he was cut off.

"That may be so, but the pirates that invaded Port Royal left Sparrow in his cell therefore they are not his allies. In addition, Sparrow is hardly trustworthy, and would more likely lead us to our deaths than to the pirates. We are establishing a course at the moment so if you do not mind, we will find a lead without interruptions," Norrington said sternly.

Will let out an angry growl as he slammed the boarding axe into the desk, straight through the map, "That's not good enough!" he shouted.

Norrington was quick to react then, as he pulled the axe from the map, and handed it to Gillette before throwing a strong arm across Will's back and led him towards the entrance to the Fort, beckoning for Murtogg to follow, "Mr Turner you are not a sailor nor are you a military man, you are a blacksmith. Leave this for the professionals who know what they are doing. Murtogg, remove Mr Turner from the Fort and escort Miss Swann back to her home," he ordered him.

"No need, we'll see ourselves out. Thank you for nothing, Commodore. Come on, Will," Hermione said angrily, as Will set his face in resolve, and followed her.

"Cassandra!" Governor Swann's warning followed through the door, but it once again fell on deaf ears as the two left the Fort.

Hermione leaned against the wall, huffing in frustration, "So what now?" she asked him in an almost desperate manner.

Will looked out towards the sea thoughtfully, and then as he turned back to answer her his eyes caught sight of the prison he knew Jack Sparrow was being held captive in. He clucked his tongue, before taking her hand, "I think it's time we took matters into our own hands," he explained as he led her towards the cellblock.

"Will, isn't that treason?" she asked as she realised what he was thinking of doing, but she made no move to stop him.

"I know, but we need help, and I believe he's the only one who will be able to give us that. Trust me," he said and she nodded.

ooOoo

Jack twirled the broken piece of bone in the lock, he had been at this for hours trying to pick the lock, and wished he had taken to learning it when he had had the chance. He had already spent a good while trying to move one of the bars, but even with the damage from the cannon ball, it would not budge. He pushed the bone in harder and twisted, but stopped as he heard the latch on the main door, and he saw the light streaming in as two sets of feet hurried down the steps. Jack lay down on his back on the floor of the cell, making a show of being relaxed and unconcerned as the intruders marched up into the hall.

"Well, aren't I the popular one," Jack muttered to himself as they came over to the bars.

Hermione almost laughed when she noticed the bone sticking out of the lock, but Will just shook his head, "Sparrow!" Will called to him, and Jack smiled from where he was currently looking up at the ceiling.

"Aye?" he asked as he placed his arms behind his head and looked up at them, his eyes lingering on Hermione for a moment before he looked at Will.

"You are familiar with the ship that was here last night. The Black Pearl, right?" Hermione asked him, her voice sounding slightly desperate.

Jack lay back down nonchalantly, "I've heard of it, Miss Swann," he answered before looking back at her with a small grin, "What of it?" he asked her.

"Where does it make berth?" Will asked him in as calm a manner he could as their last meeting came to his mind.

Jack sat up suddenly then, a grin on his features, "Where does it make berth? Have you not heard the stories?" he asked them.

"If we had, do you think we would be asking?" Hermione bit out in her frustration.

Jack chuckled, "Very good point, Miss Swann," he responded before lying back down, and continued, "Captain Barbossa and his crew of miscreants sail from the dreaded Isla de Muerta. It's an island that cannot be found except…" he sat up and smiled slightly as he raised a hand, his index finger pointing to the ceiling, "…by those who already know where it is," he finished dramatically.

"The ship's real enough. Therefore, its anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?" Will asked as he began getting angry.

Jack studied his nails as if the exchange they were having meant nothing to him, and they were merely commenting on the weather, "Why ask me?" he asked them, but his eyes were on Hermione as he said this.

"Because you're a pirate," Hermione stated as if that was the most obvious answer in the world.

"And you both want to turn pirate yourselves, is that it?" Jack asked as he sat up completely, crossing his legs.

"Never!" Will said angrily and fiercely, as he grabbed the bars.

"They took my sister," Hermione revealed, as she looked at him almost pleadingly, wondering if Jack would really help them with this.

Jack raised his eyebrows then, and looked at Will, "Oh, so you have found another girl that happens to be your girl's sister," Jack said to Will with a smile as he watched Hermione roll her eyes, "I see. Well, if you're intending to brave all, hasten to her rescue, and so win fair lady's heart you'll have to do it alone, mate. I see no profit in it for me," he answered as he began studying his nails again.

Hermione jumped as Will slammed his fist against the bars in frustration, while Jack looked at him in surprise at his outburst. Hermione watched as Will looked at the hinges on the door for a moment, before he seemed to have come to a decision, "I can get you out of here," he told Jack, and Hermione grabbed his arm in shock.

"Is that wise?" she asked him quietly.

"Trust me," Will told her and she nodded.

"How's that? The key's run off," Jack answered as he gestured towards the hole in the wall where the dog had leapt out earlier.

"I helped build these cells. These are half pin-barrel hinges," he explained as he walked over to the wall and picked up a bench, placing it at the bottom of the cell door, "With the right leverage, and the proper application of strength…, the door will lift free," he finished as Jack eyed him with curiosity.

Jack frowned as he watched Will, and it suddenly dawned on him that he was the spitting image of someone he knew in the past, but he wasn't quite sure yet, "I know her name, but what's your name, boy?" Jack asked with curiosity.

"Will Turner," he answered instantly.

Jack's eyes lit up slightly at this, "That will be short for William, I imagine. Good, strong name. No doubt, named for your father, eh?" Jack asked with a smile.

"Yes," Will answered slowly with a frown.

"Uh-huh," Jack answered as if the answer he had been given hadn't really been that important, and then he stood up, "Well, Mr Turner, I've changed me mind. If you spring me from this cell I swear on pain of death I shall take you to the Black Pearl and your other bonny lass," he said as he walked towards the cell bars, winking at Hermione who could not help but blush slightly. Jack grinned at this before looking at Will, "Do we have an accord?" he asked as he held out his hand.

Will looked at him in suspicion knowing that was way too easy, and the deal seemed far too good, but he steeled his resolve, and shook Jack's hand as Hermione stared on in slight disbelief, "Agreed," Will answered with a small smile.

"Agreed. Get me out," Jack said as he gestured lifting something.

Hermione grabbed Will's arm, effectively stopping him, "I'm not so sure this is a good idea," she said as Jack rolled his eyes slightly.

"I have a feeling me and you are not going to be getting along much on this little trip," Jack said to her with a small grin.

"Why should I trust you?" she asked him curiously.

Jack smiled knowing he had already won, "Because I can lead you to your troublesome sister," he answered as Will looked between them as if waiting for Hermione to give her acceptance to springing a convict out of jail.

Hermione huffed in slight annoyance before sighing, and nodding for Will to continue. Making the bench his fulcrum, Will pushed down on the bench, which was hard work, but the cell door began to rise before falling forward, and crashing down on the bench causing Will to step back quickly to avoid being hit. Jack could not help, but be impressed as he stepped out of the cell, and moved over to the shelves along the wall, "Hurry. Someone will have heard that," Will said urgently.

"Not without my effects," Jack muttered as he opened drawers in the desk, before moving over to some cupboards.

"We need to go!" Hermione hissed as she stood impatiently at the bottom of the stairs.

Jack finally found his pistol, sword belt, and his compass. He strapped on the belt, and checked the shot in his pistol before sheathing it, "Why are brothering with that?" Will asked curiously.

"My business, Will," came Jack's reply, before he followed them up the steps, and they stealthily made their way down to the docks, hiding on the beach underneath the bridge leading towards one of the larger piers.

Jack shushed them, listening as soldiers ran about the pier ahead of them getting the Interceptor ready to leave Port Royal. As he quietly explained his plan, Hermione looked at him in disbelief, "We're going to steal a ship? Are you out of your mind!?" she shouted at him, not believing she had actually agreed to put herself in this position by springing Jack from jail.

"Well if I wasn't I wouldn't be thinking of doing it now, would I, love?" he answered with a smile, and Hermione stared at him for a moment, which only caused his smile to widen, and she looked away to hide the blush that had appeared.

Will noticed this, frowning slightly, but shook it off, "Which ship?" he asked, noticing that Jack was looking at the Dauntless, "That ship?" he asked in disbelief.

"Commandeer," Jack corrected as he glanced towards them, "We're going to commandeer that ship. Nautical term," he told them as if this was a normal everyday thing, and they were not about to break a ridiculous amount of laws.

Hermione frowned, "It's still against the law," she muttered as Will nodded in agreement.

Jack chuckled, "So's breaking a man out if jail. Face it, both of you: you both say you'll never be pirates, but you're already off to a rip-roaring start," he told them smiling, "My advice? Smile and enjoy it," he added before sobering, and turning back to look between them, "One question about your business, boy, or there's no use going. This girl…" he said nodding at Hermione, "…how far are you willing to go to help her save her sister?" he asked curiously.

"I'd die for her and Elizabeth," Will said determinedly and Hermione couldn't help, but smile at that.

Jack raised his eyebrows at this answer, "Oh, good. No worries, then," he responded with a smile before gesturing for them to follow his lead, and they made their way down to the beach where they quickly hid underneath a rowboat just big enough for the three of them to fit under, and made their way to the shore, wading into the water. Jack lead them to the pier where he had sailed in on the Jolly Roger, and they surfaced next to where it had been repaired. There was four inches of water in the bottom, squatting low in the water, heeled to one side, and creaking on its lines, "Ah, now there's a lovely sight!" Jack exclaimed as he climbed into the boat, helping Hermione in, and then prepared to make way as Will climbed onto the pier, looking down at the boat with slight dread.

Hermione frowned, "Will?" she asked him, but he just shook his head.

Not noticing anything, Jack continued speaking, "I knew the harbourmaster wouldn't report her. Honest men are slaves to their conscience, and there's no predicting 'em, but you can always trust a dishonest man to stay that way…" he trailed off as he finally noticed that Will was standing frozen on the dock, staring at the boat in dismay, "Come aboard," he said, but Will averted his eyes, looking out to sea.

He sighed, "I haven't set foot off dry land since I was twelve, when the ship I was on exploded," he explained before indicating to the Jolly Roger, "It's been a sound policy," he finished, not making a move to step into the boat.

Jack rolled his eyes slightly, "No worries there. She's far more likely to rot out from under us," he told him as Hermione looked at him with wide eyes, but Jack just shook his head and gave her a small smile. She looked up at Will as he visibly steeled himself as he stepped into the boat as if it was going to capsize with the slightest movement. Jack chuckled as he hoisted the sail, "Besides, we are about to better our prospects considerably," he told them as he nodded towards the H.M.S. Dauntless, which was looming in the harbour. He smirked slightly as he set off, and Hermione placed a comforting hand on Will's arm as he held onto the gunwales for dear life, his knuckles turning white.

As they sailed slowly through the water towards the Dauntless, Will looked at Jack with slight apprehension as they came ever closer to the much larger ship, "This is either madness or brilliance," Will muttered, his hands tightening on the gunwales as the boat creaked slightly, and Hermione nodded her agreement with him.

"It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide," Jack answered as he led them on until they reached the ship, pulling the boat to a neat halt beside the anchor, and using it to help them climb up onto the ship. Will helped Hermione climb up the back of the ship first, and then pulled himself up as well until they finally reached the bridge. They looked down onto the main deck, realising that there must have been a breakdown in discipline; about a dozen Navy sailors were gathered playing dice. Will and Hermione noticed that Murtogg and Mullroy were among them. The three companions walked calmly down the steps where there were soldiers mulling around. Jack brandished his pistol, Will unsheathed his sword, but Hermione stood behind them, her wand behind her back. Jack took the lead, "Everyone stay calm! We are taking over the ship," Jack shouted out in a casual tone as if this sort of predicament was completely normal.

"Aye! Avast!" Will shouted as he raised his sword, and the soldiers laughed at them. Jack turned to look at him as if to say, 'don't ever do that again' but Will just shrugged as Hermione hid her face in amusement.

Jack turned back to the laughing sailors who were grinning and shaking their heads. Jack just grinned along with them, but he kept his gun level with them. The Lieutenant, Gillette, stepped forward then, his grin dropping slightly, "You're serious about this," he asked him in disbelief.

Jack raised his pistol across then, pointing it at Gillette's face, "Dead serious," he answered, his expression turning serious.

"This ship cannot be crewed by two men and a woman. You'll never make it out of the bay," Gillette retorted while laughing at the absurdity of the situation.

Jack cocked his pistol, which he was still pointing at Gillette's nose, and the Lieutenant's laughter died in his throat as he swallowed in slight fear, "Son…, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. Savvy?" Jack said as if this answered everything.

The crew began guffawing again, and a couple of them moved forward, their hands on their swords, but Gillette held up a hand to stop them, "Sir, I'll not see any of my men killed or wounded in this foolish enterprise," he said to Jack who nodded.

"Fine by me. We brought you a nice little boat, so you can all get back to shore, safe and sound," he told him as Gillette shook his head slightly in slight awe of what was happening.

The Lieutenant weighed his options for a moment, glancing briefly at the gun that was still pointing towards his face, and he closed his eyes, giving a curt nod, "Agreed. You have the momentary advantage, sir, but I will see you smile from the yard arm," he told him, but Jack just smiled.

"As likely as not," he answered with a grin before shouting back to his companions, "Will, Cassandra, short up the anchor, we've got ourselves a ship!" Jack watched as the sailors threw a rope ladder over the edge of the ship down towards the Jolly Roger, latching it at the top so it would not fall as they were climbing down it. They began making their way down the ladder, crowding onto the little boat. Will and Hermione pushed hard against the windlass to no avail…, the anchor was just way too heavy for one man and a woman. Jack turned upon noticing this, and looked at Gillette, "A little help?" he asked almost sheepishly.

Gillette shrugged, rolling his eyes before gesturing to Murtogg and Mullroy to help Will and Hermione. The three men and Hermione threw their weight into the windlass, and it began to turn. Jack levelled his pistol on them the whole time making sure Gillette would not try anything to stop them.

Murtogg grunted as he pushed at the windlass, "I can't believe he's doing this," he muttered to Mullroy.

Mullroy nodded, "You didn't believe he was telling the truth, either," he answered to which he received a small shrug from his friend.

Gillette walked over, relieving Hermione from the windlass of her position in front of Will. She moved off to stand next to Jack tiredly as she watched the four men turn it. It moved some more as Gillette looked over his shoulder at Will, "Do you have any idea, boy, what you're doing?" he asked him as they turned it another quarter.

"No," came Will's reply as they managed to finally raise the anchor, and the last of the men climbed down into the Jolly Roger and sailed towards the Interceptor.

Jack and Will cranked a capstan, raising the forward jib sail. It luffed and billowed out, and the huge ship inched forward slowly, pulled by just one sail, and Jack grinned, "Looky there, mate! We're underway!" he said joyfully, and Will could not help, but grin at the audacity of this pirate.

On the Interceptor, Norrington moved along the main deck slowly, concentrating on a manifest. By his side was Governor Swann, who began looking around as if he could hear something, and looked out to sea. Glancing over he could make out the tiny Jolly Roger heading towards them, riding low in the water and overloaded with sailors. His eyes raised as beyond that, the Dauntless began sailing, albeit slowly, for open waters. Norrington stopped walking upon realising that Governor Swann was no longer walking next to him, and he glanced out at the bay. Sure enough, the Dauntless was on the move, and he took out a brass telescope from his belt, opening it, and trained it on the main deck where he could see Will shaking one of the sails, "Rash, Turner, too rash," he muttered before spotting Jack at the wheel, and lowered the telescope, "That is, without a doubt, the worst pirate I have ever seen," he muttered as he motioned for his men to make ready the Interceptor.

Back on the Dauntless, Hermione could hear the soldiers in the water as they shouted at the men on the Interceptor, but she couldn't make out what they were saying as she turned and watched Will and Jack waving the ropes about, which was doing absolutely nothing, but then she looked back at the Interceptor as it began moving towards them. Will looked at Jack, "Here they come," he said, pointing as the sails of the Interceptor filled out, and the ship began cutting through the water towards them.

Hermione looked at Jack to see that he was now leaning on the wheel, completely at ease as if this was just a normal day out on the open sea, and there was not much to do with a following wind. She looked back at the Interceptor, "This is a really bad idea. I mean, look at all those soldiers!" Hermione said to them.

"So little faith, love," Jack said to her as he continued to smile while looking at the approaching ship.

It was not long before Norrington's smaller ship quickly came up alongside the slow-moving Dauntless, and upon inspection the deck appeared to empty. Norrington motioned for the soldiers to throw grappling hooks, drawing the two ships together, and the soldiers began swarming across to the Dauntless. Norrington and Groves followed onto the ship, "Search every cabin, every hold, down to the bilges," Norrington commanded the soldiers.

Hermione watched Will swing across to the Interceptor on a rope, grabbing an oar from one of the lifeboats, and hitting the sentry there on the back of the head, knocking him out. Jack looked at her, "Your turn," he said with a smirk, and she shook her head. Jack rolled his eyes and sighed, "Alright," he muttered, before grabbing her about the waist, and she held onto him tightly as they swung across to the Interceptor unseen. Jack held on to her tightly for a moment, while he looked into her eyes, "See, that wasn't so scary now, was it, Cassandra?" he whispered and something about the way he said that made her weak at the knees. He let her go, sidling up behind another sentry, tackling him, and covering his mouth, "Can you swim?" Jack asked him as the sentry began struggling, "Can. You. Swim?" Jack asked more forcefully, before removing his hand.

"Of course, sir. Like a fish. I grew up summers living in Dover, with my uncle-" the sentry was saying, but Jack cut him off before he really got going with his story.

"Good," Jack smiled before lifting the sentry up, and threw him overboard before nodding to Will who took out his axe and began cutting off the ropes to the grappling hooks linking the two ships together.

Jack jumped down, and began helping Will crank the capstan bars, raising the foresail just as Norrington emerged from a gangway, noticing the ship beginning to move away. Norrington turned upon noticing this, "Sailors, back to the Interceptor! Now!" Hermione heard Norrington shout, but the distance was already too great. Hermione closed her eyes as one brave sailor tried to swing across on a rope, but he fell short with a splash into the murky depths of the ocean.

"Thank you, Commodore, for getting us ready to make way. We'd have had a hard time of it by ourselves!" Jack shouted as he saluted Norrington, and waved his hat at him.

Norrington watched from the Dauntless, seething at the audacity of Jack Sparrow, but his order to Gillette was measured, "Set top sails and clear up this mess," Norrington ordered him.

"With the wind at quarter astern, we won't catch them," Groves answered in confusion from where he was standing on his other side.

"We don't need to catch them, just get them in range of the long nines," Norrington told him as they descended the steps.

Gillette looked surprised at the order, but relayed it nonetheless, "Hands, come about. Run out the guns!" Gillette shouted in order to the sailors, before moving to stand next to Norrington.

Groves turned to Norrington, "We open fire on our own ship, sir?" he asked curiously.

"I'd rather see her at the bottom of the ocean than in the hands of a pirate," Norrington said as he angrily watched the ship sail away.

The steersman turned the wheel, but looked down in shock as the Dauntless didn't move one whit, and he looked towards Norrington in dread, "Captain, there's a problem," he said as Norrington, Groves, and Gillette all faced him and he spun the wheel, which just went round and round with no signs of slowing, "He's disabled the rudder chain, sir!" He explained as Norrington bowed his head in frustration.

The Interceptor dwindled with distance, and Gillette watched it go with some degree of admiration, and he couldn't help, but smile, "That's got to be the best pirate I've ever seen," he said in slight awe as he glanced at the severely pissed off Commodore.

"So it would seem," Norrington answered angrily as he reached out and stopped the spinning wheel, watching as the Interceptor made for the horizon. A slow dissolve, and with the passage of time, the ship disappeared, and the sky turned a deep twilight blue.

Back on the Interceptor Hermione looked at Jack in slight disbelief, "I can't believe we did that," she whispered in awe.

Jack smiled at her, "Do you doubt my skills now?" he asked her and she shook her head as Will laughed slightly, "What can I say, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow," he said and Hermione smiled properly for the first time since the crazy idea of springing Jack from jail was established.

_**A/N: Hello, a slightly longer chapter for you all, and I hope you like it. Please leave me a review, I love reviews, and I love reading them!**_


	7. The Appropriately Piratey Town, Tortuga

_**Chapter 7: The Appropriately Piratey Town of Tortuga**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to PotC nor HP as they remain the properties of their respective owners. I do own the plot though and any additional characters I add. In addition, familiar dialogue is from the PotC films, which belongs Disney and the director Gore Verbinski.**_

_**A/N: Another chapter! I am on a role with this story! Please read and review!**_

ooOoo

The Interceptor cut across the waves with Jack guiding the wheel, while Will moved around on the deck tightening the lines before moving back astern. Hermione glanced at them for a moment, before looking out at the vast sea spanning as far as the eye could see wondering where the ever-elusive Captain Jack Sparrow was taking them. He had not made it clear to her or Will, he had only hinted on a town where they would find more pirates, stressing in not so many words, like himself, which made Hermione wonder if all pirates were like him, with a strange air of madness about them. However, Jack had failed to give them the name of this town.

Hermione sighed as she gazed down into the deep dark murky depths of the ocean thoughtfully as the ship sailed quickly across the surface despite being manned by two men and one woman. Though she could do very little to help having never known much about ships or boats, and also having never liked them very much, but she had done what she could without a single complaint, and Jack had not mentioned anything about it even when she did something wrong, he would just grin before showing her how it was done.

Even Will had been slightly confused by the commands Jack had issued to him, and Hermione could not blame him; Jack was a strange individual indeed, though for a pirate he seemed, to Hermione, quite well spoken, but also confusing especially when he spoke so quickly, and the words seemed to merge into a blur.

She shook off her thoughts as her gaze was drawn to Will as he sat down on the steps to the bridge, and her attention was drawn back to where Jack was at the wheel, steering the ship to their destination. He looked down at her for a moment, a small smile appearing on his lips, before he looked back out at the ocean, and for a moment Hermione thought he looked almost like a normal person in that few seconds. She continued to watch him as he looked at his compass, and she frowned slightly. It eluded her how he could do this without a proper crew, let alone a compass Hermione had come to learn did not seem to actually work, but then the man seemed enshrouded in as much mystery as attractiveness. Even Hermione, who had always strived to go only for good guys, was drawn in and attracted to the bad boy aura Jack seemed to give off.

Her eyes shifted back to Will as he sat sharpening his sword with a deep frown forming on his brow, and he glanced up at her for a moment, before turning his eyes towards the silent Captain who seemed to be lost in thought himself. His eyes then found Hermione's again, and he shrugged nonchalantly, but there was a curious gleam to his eyes, and she guessed he was also probably wondering where Jack was taking them.

Hermione sighed as she moved down to the front of the ship, her footsteps resounding on the deck, and she kneeled down to remove the heels, and felt the relief instantly. She looked at her feet, wincing at the blisters, before picking them up, and carrying them with her towards the bow. She stopped, sitting down on the ground, and pulled her wand from the sleeve of her dress, looking down at the long thin wooden stick with a frown. There did not appear to be anything wrong with it, but her frown deepened as she remembered that her spells had seemed to have little or no effect on the pirates that had attacked Port Royal. She was quite tempted to send a jinx at Jack to see if it had been a fluke that her wand had not worked in her time of need, but held herself back as she was not keen on the idea of being thrown overboard at any rate.

As she stared at the smooth wood again, her mind trailed back to why it had not worked, and then she remembered the axe that Will had thrown at one of them. Then later they had seen the same pirate looking as though he had never had an axe lodged in his back at all, and she pondered on how the hell that had been possible. _Are they immortal or something?_ She thought bemusedly as she looked out at the ocean. That would be just like fate to send her back to a time when there are immortal pirates running around killing and pillaging wherever they deemed fit, but even with immortal pirates Hermione would have thought her spells should have still worked against them. It seemed fate would never give her a moment's peace in life where she could just have a normal day without running headfirst into a dangerous, possibly life threatening, situation.

Hermione mentally shook those discomforting thoughts away, and concentrated for a moment, muttering a charm under her breath causing a white dove to fly from her wand, and it headed away towards the east. She crawled across the wooden deck quickly, looking over at Jack and Will to see that they had not seemed to notice before sighing in relief. She moved back to her spot, leaning up against the mast as she pointed her wand at her shoes to make them feel as though she was walking in flat shoes, and stowed her wand back up the sleeve of her dress. She pulled her shoes back on, and she could feel the magic working through them. So her wand was still in full working order, but this revelation did little to comfort her as she turned, walking back up the deck towards the bridge. She walked up the steps, and leaned against the railing on the opposite side from where Will was sharpening his sword with a whetstone. Looking at Jack, he smiled at her before looking back at his compass, and she could not help the small smile that touched her lips before looking at Will who was frowning.

Jack suddenly spoke then, looking at Will briefly, "For a man who's made an industry of avoiding boats, you're a quick study," he said quickly.

Will continued to sharpen his sword, not looking up as he answered, "I worked passage from England as a cabin boy," he answered, and Hermione listened curiously as Will spoke of his life when he lived with his mother, and he paused a moment as he ran the stone down his blade harshly before looking back at Jack, "When I was a lad living in England, my mother raised me by herself. After she died, I came out here…, looking for my father," he finished as he ran the stone back down his sword again without looking because his eyes were fixed on Jack.

"Is that so?" Jack asked as he raised his eyebrows.

"You don't seem very surprised by this," Hermione muttered and Jack glanced at her, but said nothing.

Will frowned at the pirate, "My father, William Turner," he said as he stood, walking closer to Jack, but the pirate did not say anything, and Will had lost his patience for guile, "At the prison, it was only after you learned my name that you agreed to help us. Since that's what we both wanted, I didn't press the matter. I'm not a simpleton, Jack. You knew my father," he said as Hermione shifted slightly wondering what would happen to Will should Jack become angry.

Jack glanced at him calmly as he considered how to reply to that, before settling on truth, "I knew him," he answered, not denying it, "Probably one of the few who knew him as William Turner," he said, and then his lips twitched slightly as he turned his gaze back to the sea.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked quietly as she glanced at Will who was looking a little confused.

"Everyone else just called him Bootstrap or Bootstrap Bill," Jack answered without looking over at her.

"Bootstrap?" Hermione asked as her eyes widened in realisation, and she looked at Will's expression as it darkened.

"Good man. Good pirate," Jack answered with a smile to her before he turned back to Will, "I swear you look just like him," he added as he smiled at him.

Will glared at him, "It's not true. He was a merchant sailor. A good, respectable man who obeyed the law," he said becoming angry.

Jack rolled his eyes, "He was a bloody pirate, a scallywag," he argued back as he looked at him.

"He was not a pir-" Will began, but Jack cut him off, turning towards him laughing.

"You think your father is the only man who ever lived the Glasgow life, telling folk one thing, and then going off to do another? There is quite a few who come here, hoping to amass enough swag to ease the burdens of respectable life, and they're all 'merchant marines.'" Jack told him, turning the wheel slightly.

Will looked back at him in a mixture of shock and anger, "My father did not think of my mother, his family, as a burden!" he shouted.

Jack smiled at this, "Sure, because he could always go pirating," he answered, his smile widening.

Will's eyes narrowed, "My father was not a pirate!" he shouted angrily as he brandished his sword, levelling it at Jack.

Jack looked at him disbelievingly before sighing, and Hermione sighed as she rubbed her eyes tiredly, "Not again," she muttered referring to the sword fighting.

Jack glanced at her, a frown showing on his brow before looking at Will, "Put it away, son," Jack said in an almost bored manner, "It's not worth you getting beat before we even start," he said as Hermione slowly made to stop Will if he made to attack Jack because she wouldn't be able to stop it once they started without using magic, and she didn't want to do that.

"You wouldn't beat me. From what I've seen, pirates don't seem to follow the rules of engagement. In a fair fight, I'd kill you," he told him, glaring at him.

Jack smiled as he looked at him, "Then that's not much incentive for me to fight fair, then, is it?" Jack said before kicking a lever on a wench, spinning the wheel, and the sail boom whipped around slamming Will in the chest, swinging him out over the sea. Will's sword clattered onto the deck, and he held on to the yard for dear life as he dangled above the water. Jack then slipped a loop of rope around the wheel to hold the course, before picking up the sword, and began poking at Will with it. Panicking slightly, Will began moving hand-over-hands away from the blade, to the end of the boom.

"Jack! What are you doing!? You could have thrown him overboard!" Hermione shouted as she ran towards the boom.

Jack grabbed her arm, and pulled her back against him, one of his arms wrapped around her stomach tightly, holding her in place so she could not fight against him. His other hand came up to caress her cheek, neck, and hair lightly, "I would only have left him in the water long enough for him to learn his lesson, Miss Swann. Now you could stand here quietly, and allow me to speak with Mr Turner, or you can join lover boy and hang there with him. I am sure it would be fun, I might try it myself one day," Jack whispered almost caressingly in her ear, tightening his hold on her, and she turned her head, glaring up at him.

"You really are a horrible pirate," Hermione whispered back, but she found her gaze drawn to his lips, and for a second he actually lowered his head towards her, but something stopped him.

"Cassandra don't tempt him to follow through with his threat!" Will shouted as he clung to the yard, "And don't you dare harm her, Jack!" Will threatened, but it seemed meaningless seeing as he wasn't exactly in the position to threaten anyone at the moment. He grasped the yard tightly as he almost slipped off, "Could you both stop talking, and get me off this thing!" he shouted as he reached his arm around the wood to try and get a better hold of it.

Hermione pulled away from Jack who looked slightly disappointed at the interruption, "Would you get him down from there! He's going to fall!" Hermione shouted at Jack, and she could feel a flush appearing on her cheeks at the thought of what almost just happened.

Jack grinned at her, and shrugged before he looked back at Will, "Now, as long as you're just hanging there, pay attention. The only rules that really matter are these – what a man can do, and what a man can't do. For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man, or you can't…" he paused as Will looked away, not interested in hearing more about his father being a pirate, but Jack continued anyway, "…but pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday. Now, me, for example, I can let you drown, but I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by me onesy, and with this girl, savvy? So…" Jack pulled the rope off the wheel, and spun the boom back in, causing Will to drop to the deck on his back at Jack's feet. Jack held out the hilt of the sword, which Will took, but he glared at him, and considered what he would do next. Jack looked down at him, regarding him coolly as he continued, "…can you sail under the command of a pirate? Or can you not?" he asked him.

Will nodded and Jack helped him to his feet, and the pirate watched as he strode back to his spot on the deck, sitting down, and resumed sharpening his sword as Hermione whispered to him, trying to see if he was okay. Jack breathed a sigh of relief, looking down at his hands that were shaking, before taking the wheel again. Will stopped with his sharpening as he looked at Jack, "Tortuga?" he asked as he raised his eyebrows.

Jack looked at him blankly for a moment, "Oh, did I forget to mention that?" he asked with a sheepish grin. Will stood from his spot on the deck, placing an arm around Hermione who was a little shaken by everything as Jack spoke again, "Aye, Tortuga," he confirmed as he spun the wheel suddenly causing Hermione and Will to duck quickly so they would not have to relive a repeat of what happened a moment ago.

"And what is so special about this place?" Hermione asked as she staggered to her feet, and faced Jack who had seemed to freeze at her question.

Jack spun to face her with raised eyebrows and widened eyes, "Simply that it is Tortuga," he answered with a smile.

"And why have you waited this long to tell us that that is where we are going?" Will asked curiously, as he sat back down with slight fatigue. Being hit by the yard had winded him horribly.

"Because if I had suggested going there before leaving where we were then there was a possibility that you would have not left where we were, and then we would not be going where we are going, savvy?" Jack asked them as they looked back in confusion.

"Okay, but again, what is so special about this place? You said it like it was pirate heaven or something," Hermione said as she brushed herself off.

Jack tapped a finger to his chin, "That's because it is," he answered as she frowned at him.

Will having missed what Hermione said asked, "What is?"

Jack rolled his eyes and sighed, "Tortuga," he answered.

Will frowned, "What?" he asked.

Jack growled in slight annoyance, which only seemed to further amuse Hermione and Will, "You will see it soon," Jack answered as he took out his compass and opened it. The arrow spun quickly for a moment before stopping in a westward direction, and Jack smiled before slipping it shut, and putting it back in his pocket.

ooOoo

It was not very long before Jack steered them to the docks of a dark town that seemed loud with music, gunshots, and sword fighting. A dank and dirty port, where the tides seemed to have swept together the sum of the Caribbean, pirates, privateers, prostitutes, thieves, and drunkards. With its cantered, rotting docks, weather beaten buildings, and odd assortment of livestock running free: a donkey, chickens, etcetera, it was far less civilised than Port Royal.

The three companions tied the ship up securely before following the rather excited Jack towards the main town. Will and Hermione shared a glance as they kept close to Jack, and he grabbed her hand, holding on to it tightly. He really did not like having to take her to a place like this as he could already see that this was not a respectable town like Port Royal, but a place where there is no such thing as laws or authorities to keep the madness at bay.

Jack led them into the town and spread his arms out wide as if he was returning to an old friend he had left behind, and smiled at them, "It is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep this sweet, proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga, savvy? What do you think?" he asked them as behind him a pirate shot another one that was standing on a balcony, and he fell to his death below, while the wench he had been with grabbed the guy who had shot him, and began kissing him soundly.

"It'll linger," Will answered as he looked around.

"It's very lively and…, welcoming," Hermione said as she glanced at Will with disgust for the town.

"I'll tell you mate…" Jack said turning to Will, "…if every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted," he said as he turned to see a heavily made up woman with red hair walking towards him, "Scarlett!" he shouted with a smile, but she just looked back angrily, and slapped him. He turned to Will and Hermione who were looking at him with raised eyebrows, "Not sure I deserved that," he told them as he turned back around to see another heavily made up woman with blonde hair standing in front of him, "Giselle!" he said in greeting, but it was with slight reluctance.

Giselle smiled sarcastically before motioning to Scarlett who had sauntered away angrily, "Who was she!?" she asked angrily.

"What?" Jack asked confusedly, and she slapped him harder than Scarlett had. He turned back to the now amused Will and Hermione with a look of slight defeat on his face, and smiled guiltily, "I may have deserved that," he told them and they nodded.

"So onto more important things-" Hermione was cut off.

"You saying my love life isn't important, love?" Jack asked her as he raised his eyebrows, and looked her up and down as if admiring her figure.

Will glared at him as Hermione blushed deeply, but she continued as if he had not spoken, "What are we doing here?" she asked him.

Jack clucked his tongue, "We need a crew. We can manage the ship between islands, but the open sea is another matter-" he was cut off.

"Just do it quickly," Will muttered darkly.

Jack rubbed his jaw with a slight frown, "Don't worry. I've already got a Quartermaster," he muttered before turning back to Hermione, "Now to finish answering your question before dear William here interrupted me, love," he said as Will rolled his eyes and Jack grinned, "We are here to drink, be merry, and find a man named Gibbs before doing the first two," he answered. He then led them over to the well in the middle of the town square, "Now first things first, we will each fill a bucket with water," he told them as if he were speaking to two children rather than adults.

"Why?" Will asked as he took the bucket Jack passed to him.

"Believe me, it'll be needed. You will both know what to do when the opportunity arises," Jack answered as he filled his own.

Hermione and Will shrugged and filled their own buckets before following Jack down a seemingly deserted alleyway, "Now where are we going?" Will asked him as he gripped Hermione's hand with his free hand.

"To find the said man I said we were going to find," Jack answered as they exited the alley, and came upon an open shelter used in farming to house pigs only to find that it was actually the pigsty. "Here we are," Jack told them as they both looked around him to see a chubby man sleeping on some hay with a half empty bottle of some sort of light orange liquid grasped loosely in his hand. A pig was sniffing and snorting at him as it wandered around in the sty. Will looked at Jack with raised eyebrows, while Hermione looked at the man sleeping in the sty in disgust, but Jack looked at them as if this was normal. "He's drank too much rum again," Jack muttered in explanation as he put his bucket of water down, and clasped his hands together as if he was excited by something, "Allow me to introduce Gibbs!" he shouted happily only for Hermione and Will to eye him as though he were mad.

"If he was awake, I would not be surprised if he opted to introduce himself unless he cannot speak," Will said as if hinting for Jack to wake him up.

"You are correct, William, and yes he can speak. In fact, in his case, it's sometimes getting him to shut up that is the real challenge," Jack answered as he picked up his bucket again, and tossed the water over the unconscious man.

Gibbs sat up immediately, "Curse you for breathing, you slack-jawed idiot!" he shouted before his eyes focussed properly on who had woke him up, "Mother's love! Jack! You should know better than to wake a man when he's sleeping. 'S bad luck," he said with a smile.

Jack smiled as he kneeled down in front of Gibbs, while placing the bucket back down, "Ah, fortunately I know how to counter it. The man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks it, while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking," Jack explained as Gibbs took on a look of confusion as he tried to figure it out.

Gibbs smiled after a couple of minutes and stood, "Aye, that'll about do it," he agreed as Will tossed the water from his bucket over him, "Blast! I'm already awake!" Gibbs shouted at him.

Will glanced at Jack, "That was for the smell," he answered as he dropped his bucket before moving slightly to his right as Gibbs nodded in agreement to what he had said.

He made to move out of the pigsty, but Hermione tossed her own bucket of water at him, and Gibbs stared at her in disbelief, "What the hell was that for!?" he shouted at her.

Hermione smiled innocently, "For shits and giggles," she answered causing Will to look at her in shock, Jack to chuckle, and Gibbs to just shrug at her reasoning.

Gibbs looked back at her and his eyes widened slightly, "Miss Swann?" he asked her and Hermione frowned, "Don't you be remembering me? We shared a ship back from England near 12 years ago now," he told her.

Hermione shook her head, "No I'm afraid I don't remember. I would have been six then, and it seems my memory is failing me. I don't remember many things from my past," Hermione answered forlornly, concocting the same story again. It was really getting old, and Hermione wished she could just tell them all the truth, but it was already far too late for that. If they found out the truth…, she was not sure what would happen. She would probably be burned at the stake for heresy. She was not entirely sure if witch burnings were common in this era, and she did not particularly want to find out.

"Well that's a shame, but maybe for the best," Gibbs answered as Hermione frowned back in confusion on what he could have meant by those words.

ooOoo

They followed Jack back to the main town and down another alley to a secluded tavern with a cracked sign that read 'The Faithful Bride'. There was an emblem over the door that was a politically incorrect painting of a smiling woman holding a bouquet in her chained and manacled hands. It seemed to be one of those pubs that was situated for all those who already knew it was there, but hidden from those who did not.

Jack pulled the door open, holding it while Gibbs, Hermione, and then Will walked in, passing a pretty Asian woman coming out, and as she registered who was holding the door open she immediately slapped him, cursing something in Chinese. Jack backed away from her, and ducked into the pub, closing the door on the woman, and joined the group whilst rubbing his jaw. Hermione raised her eyebrows at him in amusement, but did not comment. Jack took a moment to look around, he hated coming into pubs like this one, as it was populated with the slightly higher class of the scum, and they tended to treat everyone like dirt.

Luckily, they did not raise much awareness from the other patrons, while Jack handed Gibbs some money, and the man went off to buy them drinks. Jack indicated for Will and Hermione to follow him over to a post that was situated near the middle of the room, "You two wait here. If you don't want the pirates and wenches propositioning you for anything you may not have done yet…" he paused then and looked at Hermione with raised eyebrows, and she blushed, "…or can't do…" at this he eyed Will who glared at him, and Jack averted his eyes, before continuing, "…then I suggest you pretend you are both 'together' if you get my meaning," he finished as Gibbs came back, setting the drinks down on a table near to where they were standing. Jack looked around the room warily for a moment before he turned back to Will, "Keep a sharp eye," he advised him as he left to sit at the table with Gibbs. The table was enshrouded in shadows, a single candle was all that illuminated them, and they began speaking in hushed voices.

Hermione frowned as Will wrapped his arms around her when he noticed one of the pirates eying her almost hungrily. Hermione looked up at him, "Why do you think Jack told us to wait here? I can hear them perfectly as if I was sitting there with them," she told him.

Will shrugged slightly, "I think that was the idea. I think propositions made between pirates must be kept within the circle of pirates it is made to meaning it is not supposed to have anything to do with us, but I think Jack wants us to hear what is being said so they chose a close table to where we are standing," he answered and Hermione nodded, and with that they fell silent so they could hear what was being said over the loud music and noises from the other patrons.

Gibbs lifted his tankard to take a large swig, "Just the one," Jack told him, and the other pirate paused before taking a dainty sip instead.

"Make it last, then," he muttered as he set his tankard down, and looked at Jack curiously, "Now, what's the nature of this venture of yours?" he asked him.

Jack held up a hand, "First, have you found me a crew?" he asked him.

Gibbs chuckled, "Oh, there's a hard tale, Jack. Most of the decent pirates in town won't sail with you, seem to think you're a jinx," he revealed to him as Jack frowned at his words.

Jack sighed, "Now where, I wonder, would they have gotten that idea?" he asked sardonically as Gibbs evaded answering him by taking a long sip. Jack leaned forward suddenly, and Gibbs hesitantly did the same, "I'm going after the Black Pearl," Jack told him as Gibbs choked on his drink, straightening up as if he had just been hit. He stared at Jack as if he had just realised he was mad, before reaching for his drink as if to down it, but then thought better and set it back down, before leaning forward again. Jack had not moved an inch as this was happening, and he continued, "I know where it's going to be, and I'm going to take it," he told him as he sat back in his chair, while taking a swig of his own rum.

Gibbs stared at him in disbelief, "Jack, it's a fool's errand. Why, you know better than me the tales of the Black Pearl," he said as he placed his tankard on the table.

Jack leaned forward with a smile, "That's why I know what Barbossa is up to. All I need is a crew," he explained.

Gibbs shook his head slightly, "From what I hear tell of Captain Barbossa, he's not a man to suffer fools nor strike a bargain with one," he told him with wide eyes.

Jack smiled at this, "Well, then I'd say it's a very good thing I'm not a fool then, eh?" he answered before taking another slightly longer swig of his rum.

Gibbs eyed him thoughtfully, "Prove me wrong," he wagered as he picked his tankard back up, "What makes ye think Barbossa will give up his ship to you?" he asked as he took another drink.

Jack looked at him knowingly, "Let's just say it's a matter of leverage, eh?" he answered with a smile. Will tightened his hold on Hermione at these words, and looked around at Jack for a moment before turning back around. Jack, on the other hand, smiled enigmatically, and was trying to discreetly point in their direction, but Gibbs was too much of an idiot to take heed so Jack rolled his eyes, and bluntly pointed to the post Will and Hermione were behind.

"The kid?" Gibbs asked as he looked at the post.

Jack nodded, "That is the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner. His only child, savvy? Can you not tell from the resemblance? I swear it's uncanny," he answered as he took a drink of his rum.

Gibbs' eyes widened over the edge of his tankard as he peered at where Will was standing, and he smiled widely, showing more missing teeth than good ones, "Is he, now? 'Leverage,' says you. 'I think I feel a change in the wind,' says I. I'll find us a crew. There's bound to be some sailors on this rock crazy as you," Gibbs told him. Hermione shuddered at the thought of there being anyone remotely like Jack, and Will rubbed her back comfortingly.

"One can only hope," Jack answered as he raised his tankard towards Gibbs in a toast, "Take what you can…" he began.

Gibbs clinked his own tankard against Jack's, "…Give nothing back," he finished as they both drained their drinks, and slammed the empty tankards down on the table.

They both looked over in stunned fascination as Will reacted overdramatically to the sound, pushing Hermione behind him as he unsheathed his weapons, and kicked over a table for cover, whirling on anyone who moved, "Um…, Will?" Hermione asked as she looked at him in shock and embarrassment.

Gibbs frowned, "Kid's a bit of a stick, isn't he?" he asked putatively.

Jack chuckled, "That he is," he answered shaking his head.

ooOoo

It was a couple of days after the proposition had been made from Jack to Gibbs in the tavern that Gibbs returned with news that he had found Jack a worthy crew, and they could sail off the next morning without any delay. Hermione, for her part, was loathe to see the sun on that morning, and had agreed with Will that the morning had come far too soon for their liking. However, it was also with some relief that they followed Jack, and a now clean Gibbs, to the dock where there was a dishevelled, motley, and weather-beaten group of about a dozen swabs of every shape and size standing in a ragged line-up waiting to be judged by the looks of things.

Gibbs gestured to them with a smile, "Feast your eyes, Captain. All of them, faithful hands before the mast, every man worth his salt, and crazy to boot," he told him as Jack looked at all of them in turn, while Hermione and Will exchanged a glance both wondering if they were going to be the only two sane people on this crew, and how long it would take before they, too, became insane.

Will looked around at all of the pirates gathered, "So this is your able-bodied crew?" he asked Jack who nodded absently.

Hermione sighed, "Able-bodied? That man only has one arm…" she said as she pointed out the pirate, and then pointed at another, "…and he only has one leg! Able-bodied indeed," she said sarcastically as Will placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Jack, who was completely torn between agreeing with her and not, looked around at all of them with a morbid expression of dread. He walked down the line, as he looked at one sailor who was quite fat, and another who was very thin and sickly looking. Jack was really not happy with Gibbs' choices. He paused in front of a short blue clad sailor with grey hair, and a large colourful parrot sitting on his shoulder. Jack raised an eyebrow, "You, sailor!" he shouted as he looked him up and down.

"Cotton, sir," Gibbs informed him.

Jack glanced at him and nodded before turning back to the pirate, "Mr Cotton…, do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death?" he asked, but when he received no answer Jack frowned, "Mr Cotton! Answer, man!" he shouted putting more authority into his tone, but Gibbs placed a hand on his shoulder causing Jack to turn to him.

"He's a mute, sir. Poor devil had his tongue cut out, so he went and trained the parrot to do the talking for him," Gibbs explained as Cotton opened his mouth to show his tongue, or lack thereof, and Jack grimaced, "No one's yet figured how, and nobody knows the parrot's name, neither, so we just call it 'Cotton's parrot," he finished with a frown.

Jack nodded and went to walk on down the row, but he stopped and turned back to Cotton, "Mr Cotton 's… parrot. Same question," he said with slight hesitation.

Cotton lifted the parrot off his shoulder, raising it towards Jack who stepped back slightly as the parrot looked at him before clicking its beak, "Wind in the sails! Wind in the sails!" he shouted as Jack turned to look at Gibbs to translate.

Gibbs glanced from the Parrot to Jack, "Mostly, we figure, that means 'yes,'" he told him as Cotton nodded vigorously; lowering the parrot and it went silent.

Jack shook his head, before taking a step back, "O'course it does," Jack said as if it could mean nothing less before turning to the others, "That goes for the rest of you! Danger and near certain death…" he paused as he turned away so his back was to the crew, "…for we are to sail for the Isla de Muerta, to rescue the daughter of Governor Swann. An equal share of the reward shall be—" Jack stopped mid-sentence as he heard movement from the crew, and looked back to see several potential crew members began to back away in fright; first one, then another began turning and running back up to the town, quickly followed by a few more. Soon there were only about half a dozen left, Cotton being one of them.

Will grabbed his shoulder in annoyance, "Shut up, before you lose them all!" he said angrily, but Jack shrugged him off.

"These are the only ones worth having," he reasoned before glancing up at the sky, "and we're going to need them," he added as a storm seemed to be coming in. He then turned to Will and Hermione, "Satisfied?" he asked them.

"Well, you've proved they're mad," Will answered as he gripped Hermione's hand.

"And that even though they are mad they are nothing like you, so that's a relief," Hermione answered as she smiled at Jack, and then at Will who chuckled slightly.

Jack was about to retort when a voice came from one of the sailors that sounded strangely feminine, "And what's the benefit for us?" they asked as Jack turned towards them.

Jack walked over with hesitancy, and stopped in front of the sailor. He reached forward slowly, pulled the sailors hat off revealing a woman, and smiled at her, "Anamaria," he said in an almost loving way, but all he received was a slap much harder than what Scarlett's or Giselle's had been.

Will raised his eyebrows in amusement, and Hermione looked on with a grin as Jack looked at Anamaria with slight fear. Hermione leaned towards him, "I suppose you didn't deserve that one either?" she asked as Will nodded in agreement.

Jack shook his head, "No, that one I deserved," he admitted as Anamaria nodded.

"You stole my boat!" she shouted at him.

"Actually-" he began, but she slapped him again, but he pushed on with his explanation, "…borrowed. Borrowed without permission, but with every intention of bringing it back to you," he told her.

"But you didn't!" she shouted at him looking as though she may slap him again.

"You'll get another one," Jack promised, his voice slightly higher than it had been.

Anamaria pointed her finger at him, causing Jack to flinch back slightly, "I will," she said with a nod.

"A better one," Will put in as Hermione nodded.

"A better one!" Jack agreed even though it seemed he really did not want to.

"That one," Hermione added as she pointed to the Interceptor, and the rest of the sailors looked also.

"What one?" Jack asked her as she pointed to the ship again, "That one!?" he asked in shock as the sailors looked back at him for an answer, "Aye, that one. What say you?" he said to keep the peace.

"Aye!" the crew shouted as they made to get on the ship.

"Anchors aweigh!" Cotton's Parrot shouted as Anamaria snatched her hat back off Jack, and made for the Interceptor also.

"No, no, no, no, no, it's frightful bad luck to bring a woman aboard, sir!" Gibbs shouted at Jack as he watched Anamaria board the ship.

"What am I? A chicken?" Hermione muttered as they passed them, and Will chuckled.

"It'd be far worse not to have her," Jack answered as he looked at Anamaria, but then his eyes drifted to Hermione, "However, it would be hellish if we didn't allow her to come," he warned Gibbs who nodded, and actually agreed with that.

_**A/N: Well that chapter was the longest I have done for this story so far I think, and I hope you all liked it. Please leave a review as I begin writing the next chapter :)**_


	8. Introducing the Mutineers

_**Chapter 8: Introducing the Mutineers; All Good Pirates Need Enemies**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to PotC nor HP as they remain the properties of their respective owners. I do own the plot though and any additional characters I add. Also, familiar dialogue is from the PotC films which belongs Disney and the director Gore Verbinski.**_

_**A/N: Hello, another chapter for you all. I know I haven't been updating much, so here's a nice long one for you all. Hope you all enjoy it. Please leave a review!**_

ooOoo

It was not long before they set sail with Jack at the wheel as was normal, and he ordered the crew to man the ship and get everything in order. As they pulled out of Tortuga, the sky seemed to darken and it started to rain lightly. They had been out at sea for only an hour when the wind picked up, and lightning flashed across the sky, followed by a loud crack of thunder. The canvas of every sail was stretched taut, and the ship rocked as it dropped into the valley of huge swells, climbing up the other side. On board, the new crew members scurried about with their tasks, pulling lines and trimming sails. They were excellent sailors, taking everything they had to keep the ship afloat. Anamaria was at the helm, whilst Gibbs staggered along the deck, sometimes grabbing onto ropes or the sides to steady himself.

Hermione had thankfully managed to find some more suitable clothing, a tunic and some loose trousers, rather than the dress she had been wearing, and she was finding it easier to help with the crew in their tasks rather than a dress, which would have been weighed down horribly by the rain.

Gibbs looked at Jack from his position near the side of the ship, the roaring wind blowing back his hair, his eyes intent on their course, "That fool will have us lose the canvas, and the masts besides!" he growled slightly as he moved to climb the tilted deck toward him, "We'd best drop canvas, sir!" he shouted to be heard over the howling wind.

"She can hold a bit longer," Jack shouted back as he spun the wheel to the left a bit more just as the wind picked up some more, and Jack smiled.

Gibbs stopped next to Jack and looked at the smiling captain, "What's in your head that's put you in such a fine mood, Captain?" he asked curiously.

Jack smiled, "We're catching up," he answered as he spun the wheel back to the right. He turned back to the sea, clearly enjoying himself, while Gibbs stared at him like he was a crazy man. The Interceptor, on open waters looked glorious as she sailed through the harsh weather, her white sails set wing-to-wing.

ooOoo

Hermione sat on the step leading up to the bridge, she was glad the storm was over and the clouds had given way to blue skies overhead. Her eyes found Jack who was standing next to Anamaria, his compass cradled in both hands. He leaned over to study it closer, almost as if he was praying. Jack smiled as the quivering indicator above an old-fashioned rose petal style direction marker settled on southeast, "Bear three points starboard," he ordered Anamaria who turned the wheel obediently, adjusting the ships course, and it leaned into the new direction. Jack glanced back down at his compass, and the indicator then reversed, and settled on northeast, "Six points port!" Jack ordered causing Anamaria to frown, but following the orders, she turned the wheel back, and the ship responded.

Hermione, shaking her head, stood from her position on the step, and moved over to where Will was working on the deck, coiling a rope, but his eyes were fixed on Jack and Anamaria, and he was clearly unhappy. She began helping him coil the rope, and he flashed her a smile as Gibbs hobbled up to them, "Left-handed ropes are coiled against the sun, or it's bad luck!" he said, twirling a finger in the air, "Anti-clockwise," he advised before taking over the task just as the ship began shifting course again.

Will let out an angry sigh, he had had enough, "How can we sail to an island that nobody can find with a compass that doesn't work?" Will asked Gibbs as he pulled on the rope to tighten it further.

Gibbs smiled, "Aye, the compass doesn't point north but we're not trying to find north, are we?" he told him, "That compass gives bearings to the Isla de Muerta, wherever it may lay," he added thoughtfully as he glanced up at Jack. As they continued with their tasks, the air gradually became heavier and in place of the clear air, they sailed into a thick fog surrounding a lagoon that Anamaria was steering the boat through. The air seemed to drop considerably, and the crew stopped what they were doing to gaze out at the wrecked ships that were strewn everywhere in the water. Some paid silent homage to the fallen pirates and sailors, while others went back to their work, but Will, Hermione and Gibbs continued to look out, "Puts a chill in the bones how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage," Gibbs told them quietly.

Will nodded, picking up another rope, and began coiling it like Gibbs showed him, but Hermione's eyes were drawn to Cotton's Parrot who had alighted on the railing of the bridge, and began staring at the compass in Jack's hand. Jack looked up, and closed his compass quickly with a frown then, putting it back in his pocket, and shooed the Parrot away from the bridge. Hermione turned back to Gibbs, "How is it that Jack came by that compass?" she asked curiously.

Gibbs leaned against the mast, happy to have a willing listener, "Not a lot's known about Jack Sparrow before he showed up in Tortuga with a mind to go after the treasure of the Isla de Muerta. Now, Jack has an honest streak in him, and that's where the whole problem starts, and that was before I met him, back when he was Captain of the Black Pearl," he told them as Will's and Hermione's eyes widened slightly at this revelation.

"What? He failed to mention that," Will said as he and Hermione shared a glance.

Gibbs nodded in understanding, "Ah, he's learned, then. Plays things more close to the vest, and a hard-learned lesson it was. See, Jack was a cartographer, back in Old England. Somehow, he came by the money to commission the Pearl. Hired himself a crew, promised each man an equal share," he said, and his voice lowered as he continued, "So, they're forty days out, and the First Mate says, everything's an equal share, that should mean the location of the island, and the treasure, too, so Jack gives up the bearings," he paused as he shook his head, glancing up at the captain in question for a moment before turning back to them. He continued in a whisper so Will and Hermione had to lean in closer to hear him, "That night, there was a mutiny. Jack gave himself up for the sake of his loyal crew. They marooned Jack on an island, and left him to die, but not before he'd gone mad with the heat," he explained as Hermione realised now why Jack was the way he was.

"Ah. So that's the reason for all the…" Will didn't finish, but he made a show of acting like Jack, and moving his hands strangely.

Gibbs nodded looking at both of them in turn, "Reasons got nothing to do with it. Now, when a man is marooned he is a given a pistol with a single shot, one shot. Well it won't do much good hunting or to be rescued, but after three weeks of a starvin' belly and thirst, that pistol will start to look real friendly," he explained as he motioned putting a gun to his head.

"And what is the story on his pistol?" Hermione asked as Will and Gibbs suddenly stood straight as they looked behind her. Hermione frowned before turning, realising that Jack was now standing with them, and she looked away from him.

Jack smiled at her before he pulled out the pistol, raising it, "I survived, and I still have that single shot. It is meant for one man. My mutinous first mate," Jack revealed as he looked at the pistol intently.

"Barbossa," Will said in realisation as Hermione frowned at the thought of the pirate that had captured Elizabeth.

"Aye," Gibbs answered with a nod.

Hermione frowned slightly, "With only a pistol and the cloths on your back, how did you get off the island?" she asked Jack curiously.

"I didn't!" he answered loudly causing Will and Gibbs to jump, and Hermione to cover her ears reflexively, "My body's still there, rotting away, and I am but a ghost!" he answered as his three companions stared at him, not entirely sure what to make of that as Jack chuckled.

"Seriously, how did you get off the island?" Hermione asked again.

Jack smirked slightly, "Ah, that's a dark and unpleasant tale, best left untold," he answered as he touched her nose with his forefinger, and she pulled back.

Gibbs looked at Jack, "Go on, Jack, it's not that unpleasant," he said as Jack sighed and nodded for him to continue, "I'll tell ye. Jack here waded out into the shallows, and there he waited three days and three nights till all manner of sea creatures came and acclimated to his presence and on the fourth morning, he roped himself a couple of sea turtles, lashed 'em together and made a raft," he explained with a smile as Jack nodded slowly.

Hermione looked between Gibbs and Jack in disbelief before looking at Will to find him mirroring her expression, "You roped a couple of sea turtles?" Will asked Jack slowly with a frown.

"Aye, sea turtles," Gibbs was the one to answer, nodding enthusiastically.

Hermione nodded slowly before looking back at him, "What did you use for rope?" she asked curiously having already gathered that there had been no rope on the island.

Jack, his face an emotionless mask not betraying anything, looked down at Hermione, "Human hair…, from my back," he answered as Hermione lowered her head in disgust, and Will watched Jack curiously.

They stood in silence for a moment as Cotton pulled a sail line, looking out and his eyes widened. Lifting the Parrot from his shoulder, he stroked it along the back, "Land HO! Land HO! LAND ho! LAND ho!" the Parrot shouted as the four companions, and the other members of the crew looked to where Cotton was pointing.

Indeed, the faint outline of the Isla de Muerta could be seen in the distance on the port side. Will, excited, pulled himself onto the rigging to get a better look as Anamaria, who was at the helm steering the ship, stared at Cotton and his Parrot in disbelief, "How does he do that?" she muttered as Jack came to stand next to her on the bridge.

He addressed the crew, "They'll be anchored on the lee side. Haul your wind, and keep to the weather of the island!" he shouted as they all began getting into position, and Jack held up his hand to signal them to wait a moment, before he curled his fingers into a fist, "Let go of the anchor!" he shouted to the crew.

"Let go of the anchor, sir!" they all shouted back.

Jack looked around at all of them as he and Gibbs made towards the boat that some of the sailors were lowering into the water. Will and Hermione followed close behind, "Young Mr Turner, Miss Swann, and I are to go ashore," he told Gibbs as he reached the side and threw the ladder over so it landed in the boat.

"Captain! What if the worst should happen?" Gibbs asked him.

Jack turned to him, "Keep to the code," he answered as he climbed over the side and began making his way down the ladder.

"Aye, the code," Gibbs answered with a smile.

Will and Hermione stared at him a little confused, "What's the code?" Hermione asked Will.

"I have no idea," Will answered as he followed Jack over the side and down the ladder into the boat before helping Hermione down into the boat as well. Hermione sat in-between them and looked back at the Interceptor briefly as it lay in anchor, and she almost wished she were back safely on board. Jack and Will began rowing away from the large vessel in a small longboat, toward the rocky shore where they could make out the huge dark mouth of a cave, right at water level. Will looked up then as the sound of rushing water reached his ears, "What's that?" he asked as he nodded towards where the rushing water was coming from.

"Depends," Jack answered with a small sigh.

"On what?" Hermione asked as she tried to look around Jack towards the island.

"On whether the stories are all true. If they are, that's a waterfall that spills over at high tide, with a short drop to an underground lagoon. If not…" he trailed off as the moving water began tugging on the longboat, sucking them in, "Well, too late," Jack muttered as the boat rushed forward, plunging into darkness as it took a harrowing drop over a short waterfall, before landing safely in a gorgeous underwater lagoon, floating lazily towards a sandy shore. Hermione grabbed a hold of the sides of the boat as it rocked from side to side as Jack continued rowing towards the dark abyss that was the mouth of the cave, "Chalk one up for the stories," Jack muttered as he paused in his rowing to try and steady the boat.

The Isle itself looked evil and Hermione could have sworn that if she tilted her head at the right angle it looked as though it were in the shape of a skull, but she shook it off thinking it was her overactive imagination playing tricks on her. "That's disturbing," she whispered saying her thoughts out loud as she again tilted her head to see again if it did indeed look like a skull. She frowned as she realised that maybe her mind wasn't playing tricks on her and that the island was in fact just a largely shaped skull. This thought disturbed her more.

"What is?" Will asked her as he, too, looked around to see what was troubling her.

"Just this whole island. We are but three people, two normal and one insane pirate, heading into a cave with god knows what waiting for us there, and an army of pirates that don't seem to know how to die. It's just disturbing," she told him as she averted her eyes from the rocks and cliff faces that made up the island to the water, which seemed to be glowing with a light all its own.

"I see your point," Will muttered as he thought about what she said. It made sense after all. What could they possibly accomplish from this except maybe an early trip to an early grave? It seemed trouble was following them no matter where they went and Will wondered what he would be doing now had this not happened. He would probably be back in his beloved store making more swords and practicing with them as he used to, but as he thought about it the more it seemed that that was another life and that he was a completely different person now out on a seemingly heroic quest to save a woman he cared about. Making swords seemed to him like a thing of the past now after everything that had happened.

"What should we do when we get in there, Jack?" Hermione asked the quiet Jack who seemed to be staring at the island with a strange expression on his face, and a frown on his brow.

"Nothing stupid, I would imagine," Jack answered before slipping back into silence.

Hermione frowned, "Anything more specific?" she asked him, but received no answer. She shook her head, looked back down at the water, and jumped when she saw a skull.

"Careful, you may topple us with all that jumping, Miss Swann," Jack said with a smirk as he turned to look at her, "and we wouldn't be wanting that now, would we?" he asked hypothetically to which Hermione only smiled back sarcastically in answer.

Will looked down into the water as the left oar that Jack was using hit one of the skulls and he gulped slightly, "That reminds me, what Code is Gibbs to keep to if the worst should happen?" he asked Jack curiously as he looked back into the water and saw another, more rotted and cracked skull on the ocean floor, and he gulped once more. In front of him, Hermione shifted uneasily upon noticing them as well.

"Pirate's Code. Any man that falls behind…, is left behind," Jack answered after a moment of looking around at his surroundings.

Will nodded slightly, "No heroes amongst thieves, eh?" he asked hypothetically as he began looking around again.

Jack turned slightly to look back at him, "You know, for having such a bleak outlook on pirates you're well on your way to becoming one," he told him as Will frowned in return as if to question why that would be, "Sprung a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the Fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga…" he began counting off on his fingers before all three of them looked down at the ocean floor to see gold glinting back up at them and Jack smiled before turning to Will who was still looking, "…and you're completely obsessed with treasure," he finished with a smirk at the Blacksmith.

Will frowned, "That's not true," he argued before thinking about how true the first three were and then added, "I am not obsessed with treasure."

They finally pulled up at a small beach area inside the cave, Jack and Will leapt out into the water, pulling the boat ashore, and Hermione then got out. There were more boats lining the shore and Jack wandered around taking all the oars from the boats and hid them before turning back to them as they looked back in confusion, "Just to be safe," he told them.

"So you hide their oars?" Hermione asked slowly as though speaking to a child.

Jack sighed before looking at her, "There is a reason for the hiding of said oars so that when we spring free your bonny Sister and make our getaway they will not be able to follow us thus giving us a head start to which they will be left here still looking around for said oars that I hid, savvy?" Jack answered as Hermione and Will both tried to make sense of what he had just said. Before they could though, Jack beckoned them to follow him and they walked along a dark passage until they reached a part that had an opening in the wall with treasure lining it that they could look through, "Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate," Jack whispered to Will as Hermione looked around the clearing before them.

Everywhere she looked there were piles of gold, jewels, doubloons, and Merlin knows what else, but what intrigued her the most was that atop the largest mound of gold, and other valuables, stood a chest made of solid gold with an inscription carved into the side that was written in another language. Above the inscription was a carving of a golden skull that seemed to be smiling, which had her feeling strange. It was familiar to her somehow as if she had seen it in a surreal dream. Standing behind the chest was Elizabeth dressed in a gown the colour of blood, which did nothing to ease Hermione's sense of dread, but she was relieved to see she was alright.

Next to the chest, on Elizabeth's right stood a tall man with a monkey alighted on his shoulder holding an apple, while using its free hand to grasp the pirate's hat. Hermione assumed this man must be Barbossa and her suspicions were confirmed when Jack growled his name under his breath. Hermione glanced at him before looking back in on the gathering as Barbossa began speaking, "Gentlemen, the time has come! Our salvation is nigh! Our torment is near an end," he shouted to the cheers of his crew.

"Elizabeth," Will whispered upon noticing her and Hermione glanced at him to see a worried frown on his brow.

She tuned back into the speech happening in the clearing, "For ten years we've been tested and tried and each man jack of you here has proved his mettle a hundred times over and a hundred times again!" Barbossa was shouting. Hermione strained her ears as one of the crewmembers said something in answer to that, but she was too far away to hear it, "Punished, we were. The lot of us – disproportionate to our crimes! Here it is…" Barbossa paused as he turned and threw off the lid revealing hundreds of identical golden medallions, "…the cursed treasure of Cortés himself. Every last piece that went astray, we have returned…, save for this," he said as he pointed to the matching medallion hanging around Elizabeth's neck.

Will scrambled to his feet then, upsetting some of the treasure that they were hiding behind, but Jack pulled him back down, "Jack!" he shouted out in annoyance as he turned to the pirate.

Jack shook his head, "Not yet. We wait for the opportune moment," he told him as Will huffed in irritation and Hermione grasped his arm to try to calm him down slightly.

"881 we found, but despaired of ever finding the last," Barbossa was saying in the background, but Hermione was too busy trying to keep Will from rushing into the gathering, and most likely getting himself killed.

"When's that? When it's of greatest profit to you?" Will asked Jack angrily.

Jack grinned slightly before becoming serious once more, "May I ask you something? Have I ever given you reason not to trust me?" he asked as Will glared back and slumped his shoulders and Hermione rubbed his back comfortingly.

"Maybe we should just listen to him. He hasn't led us astray…, yet," Hermione said to Will, but looked at Jack intently on the last word.

"Exactly. You should listen to her more, mate. You may learn something," Jack said with a small smile before looking back at the gathering. He looked back at them thoughtfully, "Do us a favour – I know it's difficult for you, but please stay here and try not to do anything stupid," Jack told them to which Hermione rolled her eyes as Jack scampered off along the passage.

"Bloody pirate!" Will seethed.

"Would you calm down!" Hermione said to him angrily as he turned to look at her in shock, "We will get Elizabeth back safely, but we won't be able to if you just rush in there waving your sword and hoping to make it out alive! We need to strategize something like this, and do it in such a way that we are not noticed. As Jack said, we should wait for the right opportunity to arise and then save her," she told him to which Will nodded slightly.

They both pulled themselves back into kneeling positions and looked back over at the gathering, tuning into what Barbossa was saying now, "And who among us has paid the blood sacrifice owed to the heathen gods?" he shouted.

"Us!" the crew shouted back.

"And whose blood must yet be paid?" Barbossa shouted to them.

"Hers!" they shouted back and Will shook his head, tuning out as he made to follow the passage Jack had disappeared down.

He turned back to Hermione, "Come on," he told her.

She looked back, a little torn, before sighing and following him down the passage, "Where are we going?" she asked him, but received no answer, "Will? Did you listen to a word I said?" she asked him and Will turned back to her.

"Of course I did. I have always listened to you in any situation, but did you not hear Barbossa? They are going to use Elizabeth as the blood sacrifice. I cannot stand here and let that happen and I think I am safe to assume that as she is your Sister, you would not want any harm to come to her either, am I right?" he asked her.

"Yes, but-" she tried to argue, but Will cut her off and took her hand, practically dragging her down the passage.

"Good," he muttered as he began looking around the ground for something.

"What are you looking for?" Hermione asked curiously as Will walked away for a moment and picked up an oar lying on the ground before making his way back over to her and taking her hand again, "What do you need that for?" she asked him as she eyed the oar with confusion. He didn't answer as he continued along the passage, pulling her along behind him before Hermione began to get angry once more, "Where are we going? What are you hoping to accomplish, Will! Let go of-" she was cut off once again by him.

"Shhh," he whispered as they rounded a corner to see Jack looking through another gap in the wall.

"What are you going to-" she stopped talking as Will brought the oar down hard on Jack's head knocking the pirate unconscious and she stared at him in disbelief.

Will looked down at Jack, "Sorry, Jack. I'm not going to be your leverage," he said before grabbing Hermione's hand and dragging her along the passage again.

"Why did you do that?" she asked him as she looked behind her to see Jack still lying on the ground.

"I refuse to take orders from pirates," Will answered as they reached an opening that was behind the mound of gold the chest was on and they watched as Barbossa seemed to be angry about something, but they didn't know what seeing as they hadn't listened. Hermione looked at Will who seemed to be relieved that Elizabeth was okay and they hadn't killed her.

Will and Hermione flinched as Barbossa turned on Elizabeth angrily, "You, maid! Your father, what was his name? Was your father William Turner?" he asked furiously.

"No," Elizabeth answered.

Barbossa grabbed her arm painfully and picked up the medallion that was dripping with her blood, "Where's his child? The child that sailed from England eight years ago, the child in whose veins flows the blood of William Turner. Where?" he asked her, but when he received no answer he raised his hand and backhanded her, making her fall down the mound of gold to land at the bottom next to the medallion that had flown out of Barbossa's hand. An argument began amongst the pirates and Will took that opportunity to wade into the water towards Elizabeth while Hermione waited at the side with baited breath. Will swam over and clasped his hand over Elizabeth's mouth so she wouldn't scream and motioned for her to follow him into the water. Elizabeth turned and grabbed the medallion that was lying next to her before sliding into the water and following Will to the other side where Hermione hugged her and they slowly began making their way out. Thinking they were safe they continued, but they heard a screeching sound and Hermione glanced around to see the monkey pointing in their direction, "The medallion! She's taken it! Get after her! You feckless pack of ingrates!" Barbossa shouted and the three sped up their pace to the boats were.

They climbed up a dark crevasse that lead to the sandy shore where the boats were lined up. Will grabbed Elizabeth's hand, helping her up before helping Hermione. Will turned to Elizabeth as Hermione went to look for the oars Jack had hidden, "I'm glad we got here in time," he said to her as he gave her a hug.

Elizabeth pulled back, giving him a small smile, "Truthfully, you were a bit late," she corrected him, as he turned to look away from her in embarrassment.

Hermione appeared next to them, giving the oars to Will, "The trick isn't getting here, it's getting away," Hermione said as she ushered them towards the boat. As if on cue, the yells of the pirates drew closer, and Will pushed the boat into the water, before jumping in and began rowing it as quickly as he could out of the lagoon towards where he hoped the Interceptor was.

They eventually reached it after a time, as they had had to try to get around the waterfall, and Will boarded the Interceptor before helping Hermione, and then Elizabeth up onto the deck. Elizabeth looked around and groaned, "Not more pirates," she said as she looked at Hermione and Will.

Gibbs smiled at her, "Welcome aboard, Miss Elizabeth," he said with a slight bow of his head.

"Mr Gibbs?" Elizabeth asked in disbelief before turning to Hermione.

"The very same," Hermione muttered.

Elizabeth turned back to Gibbs to say something, but he seemed to notice that Jack hadn't followed them aboard and looked at Will, "Hey, boy, where be Jack?" he asked him as he looked over the side in case Jack was still climbing up.

"Jack?" Elizabeth asked before turning to Will and Hermione, "Jack Sparrow?" she asked them.

Hermione smiled, suddenly feeling amused at the situation she found herself in, "The very same," she answered with a shrug.

Elizabeth frowned at her, "Cassandra, why were you working with pirates? Why are you here? Father must be going spare wondering where you are!" she said, but Hermione only shrugged again as she leaned against the railing of the ship tiredly.

"He fell behind," Will answered Gibbs who had been waiting for an answer before taking a hold of Elizabeth's arm and leading her away.

Hermione watched with a frown as they disappeared into the cabin before turning back to Gibbs who looked disheartened at the loss of Jack, "Keep to the code," he said as the crew nodded, and went about their duties.

"Weigh anchor! Hoist the sails! Make quickly, divvies," Anamaria shouted as she went to the helm of the ship and took the wheel.

ooOoo

Back in the cave, Jack stumbled towards where he remembered the boats to be, while eying an oar curiously as he wondered how it had hit him in the first place. As he was also wondering where Will and Hermione had gotten to, he heard a voice ahead, "No oars here. Where's the oars?" came the voice.

"The oars have gone missing. Find them!" another voice echoed through the caves as Jack smiled at his own genius plan at hiding the oars before making his way out.

Ragetti turned then and saw Jack holding the oar, "You," he said in disbelief.

Pintel looked at him as though he'd seen a ghost, "You're supposed to be dead!" he shouted as Jack raised his eyebrows.

"Am I not?" Jack asked before looking down at himself, "Oh," he said happily before realising that a pistol was pointed right at him, "Palulay...palu-li-la-la-lulu, parlili… parsnip, pasley, par – partner, partner…" he muttered as he tried to think of the right word.

"Parley?" Ragetti asked him.

"Parley! That's the one. Parley! Parley!" Jack shouted to the crew with a smile.

"Parley?" Pintel asked Ragetti angrily before turning back to Jack, "Down to the depths whatever man that thought up 'parley!'" he shouted.

Jack smiled, "That would be the French. Also, would you know that they are also the inventors of mayonnaise? I heard that somewhere," Jack told them thoughtfully as they all looked back in anger, while some rolled their eyes.

They led Jack back to the clearing with the chest and Barbossa looked at him in irritation and disbelief, "How the blazes did you get off that island?" he asked him curiously.

Jack smiled, "When you marooned me on that godforsaken spit of land, you forgot one very important thing, mate," Jack paused as they all looked back at him wondering what it was their Captain could have forgotten.

"And what is it that I was forgetting?" Barbossa asked in morbid curiosity.

Jack smiled, "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow," he answered as if this should have been obvious.

"Ah, well, I won't be making that mistake again," Barbossa told him before looking around at his crew, "Gents, you all remember Captain Jack Sparrow?" he asked them to an answer of affirmations grumbled from them. He looked back at Jack who was looking at them all with a wide smile on his face even though he was surrounded by armed pirates, and Barbossa was not impressed by this, "I'm inclined to kill you now, Jack Sparrow, without so much as a word, if you don't lose that grin from your face," he warned him, but that only made Jack smile wider, if possible. Barbossa growled at this, "Kill him," he ordered the pirates, while turning around to walk away and they all raised their weapons at Jack with smiles as though they had been anticipating when they would be able to finally kill him.

Jack just shrugged, grinning like the cat who got the cream, "The girl's blood didn't work, did it?" he asked Barbossa confidently.

Barbossa growled again and turned back, "Hold your fire!" he shouted to his crew as they all lowered their weapons in annoyance and reluctance, "You know whose blood we need," Barbossa stated rather than asked.

Jack grinned with a glint in his eyes, "I know whose blood ye need," he answered as the crew members looked at each other.

ooOoo

Jack soon found himself on the Black Pearl and he looked around at it like a child that Christmas had come early to. He ran his hand along the railing almost lovingly before Barbossa beckoned him to follow him to the Captain's cabin. Jack entered and looked around, "Love what you've done with the place. Very evil and morbidly pretty. Not how I would have decorated it, but I am not you, am I?" Jack said with a grin as he took a seat and Barbossa followed suit.

"So what name is it that we be needing?" Barbossa asked him.

"Ah, cutting right to the chase are we? Well, it is not that simple. Give me a reason why I should bestow you with said name and I shall, for my part, perhaps give it," Jack answered as he eyed the bowl of apples in the middle of the table hungrily.

"Name yer terms, Jack," Barbossa said as he watched Jack eying the fruit with raised eyebrows.

Jack leaned forward and looked through the apples before deciding on a particularly nice one that was near the bottom. He sat back down before looking at Barbossa, "How about the deal for the name would be for you to live out the mutiny you cast upon me?" Jack asked him with a smile.

"And then what?" Barbossa asked in amusement.

"And then I would have me ship back, and everyone would be happy," Jack answered.

"So you expect to leave me standing on some beach with nothing but a name and your word it's the one I need and watch you sail away in my ship?" Barbossa asked him as he sat back in his seat, and clasped his hands together.

Jack looked at the apple before leaning forward and looking back up at Barbossa, "No. I expect to leave you standing on some beach with absolutely no name at all, watching me sail away on my ship, and then I'll shout the name back to you. Savvy?" he answered with a smile.

Barbossa frowned, "But that still leaves us with the problem of me standing on some beach with naught but a name and your word it's the one I need," he stated as he eyed the apple in Jack's hand before looking back up.

Jack leaned back in his chair again, "Of the two of us, I am the only one who hasn't committed mutiny, therefore… my word is the one we'll be trusting," he said as he put his feet up on the table, and made himself comfortable, "Although…, I suppose I should be thanking you because, in fact, if you hadn't betrayed me and left me to die, I would have an equal share in that curse, same as you," he said with a smile, and bit into his apple. "Funny ol' world, innit?" he asked as Barbossa nodded back bitterly and Jack offered him the apple.

Barbossa looked at the apple with raised eyebrows before Jack shrugged and retracted it, taking a bite as Barbossa eyed him amusedly, "I'm supposed to… trust you?" Barbossa asked as the pirates in the room laughed at this.

Jack glared at them before looking back at Barbossa, "I'm a man of my word," he said to which he received laughter from the pirates again. Jack growled under his breath before looking at Barbossa, "You see, I've got this honest streak in me, in its own way, a sort of curse. Oh and there's the fact that you have no choice," Jack told him, smirking at his own reasoning.

Barbossa's eyes narrowed, "I'll torture it out of you."

Jack chuckled, "You left me on a desert island, what worse can you do?" he asked him as he took another bite of his apple.

Jack's grin widened, intentionally smug now, and Barbossa could see his options dwindling, and he stood from his seat, pacing in front of the table, "Blast you! I'll throw you in prison," he growled angrily as he glared at Jack.

Jack smiled, faking a yawn, "Wait as long as you like."

Barbossa eyed him, furious now, "You're setting me up for a double cross, you with the ship, and me with nothing more than your word!" he shouted as he looked out the window.

Jack made a show of thinking about it, before speaking, "Let's say I tell you the wrong person. What would you do?" he asked curiously.

"Track you down and-" Barbossa began, but stopped himself as he realised where Jack was heading with this.

Jack looked at him seriously, "And if I tell you the truth, you become human again, and you won't come near me because you know I'd kill you," he told him, his smirk appearing again.

Jack's smirk widened as he realised Barbossa was hesitating now, and the pirates in the room were amazed at how the tides had turned. It sounded as though Barbossa had gone past considering the idea, and might even do it. Barbossa stared out the window, a frown on his brow, before he shook his head, and turned back to Jack, "Jack, I don't trust you, and that's a fact. Never trust a smiling man, you can lay to that," he answered, but there was still that underlying hesitation in his tone, which Jack picked up on.

Jack leaned forward as if he had been anticipating this answer, "See, that's where we're different. I trust you… to do what it takes to get what you want," he explained with a small smile.

Barbossa looked at him curiously, "You're playing this as close to the edge as any man, I'll give you that," he said before smiling, and came to a decision, "We might just have to sign articles, you and I. Jack, you're a pirate at heart, that's certain," he told him, and Jack shrugged with a smile.

Bo'sun entered then, "Captain, we're coming up on the Interceptor," he reported and Barbossa walked out with him, followed by Jack, and they went topside.

Barbossa began firing off orders, "Pintel… set sail. If this fool plan is to work, we'll need the medallion, and that means catching the ship which brought 'em here."

Jack turned to look at him, caught completely off guard, and for the first time, his smile began to fade, "What?  
>You don't have the medallion?" he asked, sounding a tad panicked.<p>

Barbossa shook his head, growling, "That fool woman took it. You be careful around her, Jack, she's pretty enough, she'll steal your heart, but pure evil inside," he warned him, sounding almost as if he genuinely wanted Jack to be careful.

Jack smiled at this, "My only true love is the sea, but I will watch my back," he answered to which Barbossa nodded. Barbossa took out his spyglass to look at the Interceptor, but Jack stood in front of it, blocking the view, "I'm having a thought here, Barbossa," he said as Barbossa lowered the spyglass slowly, and looked at Jack somewhat agitatedly, "What say we run up a flag of truce? I scurry over to the Interceptor, and I negotiate the return of your medallion, eh? What say you to that?" Jack asked him.

Barbossa smiled slightly, "Now you see, Jack, that's exactly the attitude that lost you the Pearl. People are easy to search when they're dead," he answered before turning to Bo'sun, "Bo'sun! Set up Mr Sparrow's quarters, nice and fine… in the brig," he ordered him, smiling at Jack before adding, "Meaning no disrespect, of course," and Jack nodded at this as Bo'sun grabbed Jack and as they passed him, Barbossa snatched the apple from him, not hiding his mistrust in him, and looked at it before angrily throwing it overboard.

Bo'sun dragged Jack down to the brig and pushed him into one of the cells. Jack looked around, sloshing about in the water before looking back at the stiff pirate, "Apparently there's a leak," Jack said to him, but it fell on deaf ears as Bo'sun walked back up topside.

Jack continued to look around as Barbossa's shouts from above reached him, "Haul on the main brace! Make ready the guns! And run out the sweeps," he ordered his crew as Jack sighed and leaned against the wall, his mind in overdrive as he tried to figure out how to escape.

_**A/N: Another chapter down. Sorry I haven't updated recently, been busy with work. I will try to update more often. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, please read and review!**_


	9. Cross and Double Cross

_**Chapter 9: Cross and Double Cross; Nothing is Ever What it Seems**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to PotC nor HP as they remain the properties of their respective owners. I do own the plot though and any additional characters I add. Also, familiar dialogue is from the PotC films which belongs Disney and the director Gore Verbinski.**_

_**A/N: Hey guys, I know I have not updated in ages and I am so sorry. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**_

OoOoOoOoOoO

At full sail, the Interceptor headed out to sea. Gibbs glanced over at Elizabeth and Will, where they were talking alone on the forecastle, and then turned his gaze towards Hermione who was walking down the steps from the Bridge, shaking his head, "Three women on board? A man don't have to be superstitious to know that's trouble," he muttered to himself, before peering forward from the Helm, scanning the horizon. He could see a tiny island in front of them, "Shift your heading, steer clear of that island. Fifteen degrees starboard," he told Anamaria, who nodded and turned the wheel.

On the aft deck, Cotton concentrated on his work, securing a halyard. Suddenly, Cotton's Parrot began flapping its wings, taking off to land gracefully on the starboard bulwark, squawking, "Dead men tell NO tales! Dead men tell NO tales! Dead men tell NO tales!"

Cotton looked at the parrot in confusion for a moment, before looking out at the horizon. He could see black sails. He dropped the rope he was holding and stood up, as Gibbs and Anamaria looked behind them, seeing the ship, "Hands aloft to loose t'gallants! With this wind at her stern, she'll carry every sail we've got," Gibbs was shouting as he passed Hermione.

Hermione looked up as Gibbs began shouting orders at the crew and she stood to see what was going on. Off in the distance behind them, a ship was following them and Hermione guessed it was the Black Pearl, "So much for a head start, Jack," Hermione muttered to herself.

She looked around as Elizabeth came up from the cabin followed by Will who looked slightly miffed by something and she made towards them and took a hold of Will's arm. Elizabeth looked at them for a moment with a frown before shaking her head and heading up to the bridge as the crew ran around on the deck, "What's happening?" Elizabeth asked Anamaria who was steering the ship.

"The Black Pearl, she's gaining on us," Anamaria answered as she looked behind her to the approaching Pearl.

Elizabeth looked at her in disbelief, "This is the fastest ship in the Caribbean," she argued as she gestured to the ship.

"You can tell them that after they've caught us," Anamaria answered irritably as Hermione and Will made their way up to the bridge.

"We're shallow on the draft, right?" Hermione asked her.

Anamaria looked at her and frowned, "Aye," she answered.

Elizabeth caught on to what Hermione was thinking, "Well, then can't we lose them amongst those shoals?" she asked her.

Gibbs smiled then, "We don't have to outrun them long, just long enough," he said as he turned to shout orders to the crew.

"Lighten the ship, stem to stern!" Anamaria shouted.

"Anything that we can afford to lose…, see that it's lost!" Gibbs shouted as the crew made to complete the orders.

Will and Hermione ran down to the deck to help as barrels of rations and other equipment were thrown off the ship, lightening the load. After a short while, he stopped and looked out at the Black Pearl to see oars coming out of the sides to speed them up. Hermione also looked out and frowned, "They'll catch us in no time with them. I think throwing the stuff off the ship may have been in vain," she told him and he nodded in agreement.

Will looked around and walked over to one of the crew members that was about to throw a cannon overboard and stopped him, "We're gonna need that," Will told him and the man nodded before going off to do something else to help.

"It was a good plan until now," Hermione muttered to him and Will clasped a hand onto her shoulder. Hermione looked up to see his eyes were full of determination and she wondered what he was planning. Hermione looked over the side of the ship seeing miles of blue water, the Interceptors tacks, leaving a long white wake. The Black Pearl was matching it though, gaining on them.

"Gibbs!" Will shouted as he let go of Hermione and went towards Gibbs, "We have to make a stand. We must fight!" he told him before turning back to the crew, "Load the guns!" he shouted to them.

"With what?" Hermione asked as she came to stand next to him, "We just threw everything overboard save for a few cannons with no gunpowder nor cannonballs," Hermione told him.

Will turned to her, "Anything," he said and then turned back to the crew, "Everything! Anything we have left," he shouted as the crew began running around again.

"Load the guns! Take shot and langrage. Nails and crushed glass! With a will!" Gibbs ordered as the crew began stuffing cutlery and other assorted items into the cannon, which included Gibbs' canteen flask, "Pearl is going to bluff up on our port quarter. She'll rake us without ever presenting a target," he shouted as he went for his canteen only to remember it was now loaded into a cannon, and growled in annoyance.

Elizabeth turned to Anamaria, "Lower the anchor on the right side. On the starboard side!" she shouted to her as Anamaria looked back in disbelief.

Hermione nodded in agreement, as she thought about it as Will looked at Elizabeth for a moment before looking back at Anamaria, "It certainly has the element of surprise," he said to her.

Anamaria looked between them in disbelief, "You're daft, lady! All three of you are!" she shouted.

Gibbs smiled as a glint appeared in his eye, "Daft like Jack!" he said to them to which Hermione groaned at being classed in any class that was related in any way to Jack because no one was like him while Gibbs turned back to the crew again, "Lower the starboard anchor! Do it, ye dogs, or it's you we'll load into the cannons!" he shouted and the crew made to lower the anchor.

Hermione looked out again; the Black Pearl was now close behind the Interceptor, which was heading towards the island. One of the sailor's ran past her and up to the stern, pulling a release causing the ships anchor to race down into the water, the metal chain jumping and twisting on the deck. One the chain had stopped, the sailor locked it in place. Hermione looked at Anamaria who still had a firm hold on the wheel, "Let go," she told her and she did so. With its forward momentum and the anchor down, the Interceptor made to turn quickly, pivoting around the anchor surprising Barbossa whose eyes widened slightly at the sudden move.

Barbossa and Pintel watched as the huge ship brought its cannons to bear right in front of them, "They're clubhaulin'! Hard to port! Rack the starboard oars," Barbossa shouted to his crew.

"Hard to port!" Bo'sun repeated the order as the two ships came up so they were side by side.

On the Interceptor, Will turned to Anamaria, "Keep us steady now," he told her before turning to the crew who were waiting to fire the cannons, "Now!" he shouted.

"Fire!" Elizabeth shouted just as Barbossa shouted the same command on the Black Pearl and the ships began exchanging cannon fire, but for now the Interceptor had the advantage and took it, its cannons booming, raining down cutlery, other items, and a few cannonballs on the Black Pearl.

Down in the brig of the Black Pearl, Jack looked around in alarm as the cannon fire continued. Looking out the porthole to see if he could see anything. In the cell with him was Twigg, acting as a guard, "Don't hit my ship! I mean, kill the lying scoundrel…!" he paused in his shouting and turned to Twigg, "I'm a little conflicted, here," he said, but Twigg just stared at him. Suddenly, a hole was blown in the hull causing him to dive to the ground to avoid being injured. He sat back up, looking at the hole in anger, "Stop blowing holes in my ship!" he shouted before looking down and seeing Gibbs' canteen flask. He picked it up and went to take a drink only to find it empty, and looked around. He noticed then that Twigg was lying on the ground unconscious, and the lock on the cell door was destroyed from the shot of the cannon. Pocketing the flask, he made his way out.

Back on the Interceptor, Gibbs came up to Hermione and Elizabeth, "We could use a few more ideas, lassies," he said to them.

"Your turn," Elizabeth said as she bit her lip.

"I can't think of anything," Hermione muttered as she ducked down from a blast.

"We need us a devil's dowry," Gibbs shouted in annoyance.

"We'll give them her," Anamaria said as she pointed her pistol at Elizabeth.

"But they already tried using her!" Hermione shouted as Will pulled her to her feet and into his arms.

"She's not what they're after," Will said as he looked at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth frowned at Will and Hermione before reaching up to where the medallion had been only to remember that it wasn't there anymore, "The medallion," she said in worry as Will let go of Hermione and left to go search for it below.

Elizabeth and Hermione watched as the Black Pearl came about, and a low, loud rumble of two dozen cannons fired as one hitting the Interceptor. A second barrage of shots followed then, most of them finding their mark. Sailors dived for cover, leaving their cannons as they realised they were clearly overmatched. Hermione looked over into the face of the man captaining the Black Pearl as he laughed, and then he signalled another round of fire, showing no mercy. Hermione dived quickly to the side, using the side of the ship to pull herself back up, and she just managed to hear Barbossa issuing orders to his men over the shouting and cannon fire, "Raise yer colours ya bloomin' cockroaches!" The Black Pearl fired again, a double-ball shot with a chain connecting the two. It hit the main mast dead on! A cracking, splintering sound filled the air as it broke, falling onto the deck.

Down below, Will began to panic slightly as he noticed the toppled table upon which the medallion had been only to find it wasn't there anymore. A crack from above and a crash later, he realised that he was trapped due to the mast and made his way to the grate, "Hey! Hey! Below!" he shouted, but there was no answer.

"Looks like they mead to send us under!" Anamaria shouted as she fired her pistol at the pirates.

"There, she's raised the Jolly Roger, upside down," Gibbs said as he pointed to the flag on the Black Pearl.

Everyone looked at him, all knowing what this meant, but Hermione was confused, "What does it mean?" she asked him.

Gibbs sighed, "It's a signal. If we resist, it won't just be death. There'll be torture as well," he explained as Hermione's eyes widened.

"We're not going to just surrender!" Elizabeth shouted defiantly.

"That we are," Gibbs muttered quietly.

Barbossa moved his ship alongside, preparing to board, "Hands, grapnels, at the ready. Prepare to board!" he shouted to his crew and they threw grapple hooks across to the Interceptor and began to board, "Blast all to carcasses, men! Forward clear to the powder magazine and the rest of you, bring me the medallion!" Barbossa ordered as his men swung across to the Interceptor.

"We can at least fight! We might be able to kill a few—" Hermione began to argue as she reached into her pocket for her wand, wondering if this was when she would have to reveal herself.

"Cassandra…, it'll go worse for us, for Elizabeth and Will…, especially Will…, if we fight," Gibbs said, effectively cutting her off. Hermione stared at him for a moment, before slowly nodding in agreement, but her expression was still defiant.

The deck began to slant; the ship was sinking as Pirates began swarming across on ropes, and took control of the Interceptor.

Back on the Black Pearl, Jack finally emerged from the hold to see pirates running around and fighting. He walked over to one of Barbossa's crewmen, and took the rope from him as he was shot, "Thanks very much," he said before swinging onto the Interceptor to land ungracefully in front of Gibbs.

"Jack!" Gibbs shouted in surprise and relief.

Jack shifted unsteadily for a moment as he reached into his pocket and pulled out Gibb's canteen, handing it to him, "Bloody empty," he told him as he headed towards Elizabeth who was being cornered by a pirate, "That's not very nice," he said before punching him. He then turned to Elizabeth, "Where's the medallion?" he asked her as she stood angrily.

"Wretch!" Elizabeth shouted and was about to slap him.

Hermione ran over then upon hearing the commotion as Jack caught Elizabeth's wrist, "Jack?" Hermione asked in disbelief having believed he was dead.

Jack didn't appear to hear her as he looked at Elizabeth's bandaged hand, "Ahhh. Where's dear William?" he asked with a smile and a glint in his eye.

Elizabeth's eyes widened as Hermione turned around to see Will under the grate, "Will…," she whispered as she made to go towards him.

"Will!" Elizabeth shouted as she pulled her wrist free from Jack and ran towards the grate followed by Hermione.

"Elizabeth! Cassandra!" he shouted as he tried to lift the grate.

Jack watched for a moment before seeing the monkey making his way over to the Black Pearl with the Medallion clasped in its mouth, "Monkey!" he shouted and began running after it.

"I can't move it!" Elizabeth shouted as she tried to move the mast.

It was times like these that certain decisions needed to be made and Hermione made the choice to use Magic even if they were scared, curious or even rejected her after discovering her secret. She had to save Will and she went for her wand, but was grabbed from behind and dragged away along with Elizabeth, "Will!" she shouted as she reached out her hand towards him.

Will looked back at her with worry, "Cassandra!" he shouted as he doubled his efforts at moving the grate, but it was no use.

Over on the Black Pearl, the monkey alighted on Barbossa's shoulder and he reached up to take it from him just as Jack reached Barbossa and looked up at him from the ground, "Why, thank you, Jack," Barbossa said as he looked down at Jack.

"You're welcome," Jack answered with a smile.

Barbossa raised his eyebrows, "Not you. We named the monkey 'Jack'," Barbossa informed him with a smile that Jack returned with a nod before turning to his crew, "Gents, our hope is restored!" he shouted to them and received cheers in return. On the Interceptor, some of Barbossa's men ignited gunpowder that led to a collection of powder kegs while Will struggled to escape from the cabin that had filled with water. He swam to the bottom of the cabin and upon noticing the large hole in the side, swam towards it just as the Interceptor exploded.

"WILL!" Hermione and Elizabeth shouted out as they stared at the flaming ship in shock and grief. The top masts of the H.M.S. Interceptor sank into the smooth crystal waters of the Caribbean as tears filled their eyes and fell to the deck of the Pearl.

ooOoo

Hermione couldn't breathe as she stared at the wreckage of the Interceptor. Was Will dead? She didn't want to think about it. The possibility that he could be seemed to make her heart beat faster and her stomach to flutter in panic as tears seemed to stream from her eyes. Next to her, Elizabeth didn't seem to be faring much better than her and she kept shaking her head as her own tears fell.

Hermione tuned back into her surroundings then, just as Pintel was pointing his gun at all their crew in turn, "If any of you as much as thinks the word 'parley,' I'll have your guts for garters," he threatened them.

Elizabeth snapped then, "Will!" she shouted before attacking Barbossa, "You've got to stop it! Stop it!" she was shouting, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears.

Barbossa smiled crudely, as he grabbed her wrists to stop her from hitting him, "Welcome back, Miss. You took advantage of our hospitality last time. It holds fair now that you return the favour," he said as he pushed her into the crew whose hands were all over her in seconds, yelling shouts of approval as they pushed her from one to the other.

"Let her go!" Hermione shouted as she made to help Elizabeth, but Barbossa grabbed her and pulled her back against him.

"Can't be having that, Missy," he whispered into her ear causing her to shiver in fear and disgust.

"Barbossa!" came a familiar voice and Hermione turned to see Will standing on the railing holding onto the rigging to keep himself steady, pointing his pistol at Barbossa.

"Will," she whispered as a smile spread across her face and across from her where the pirates had stopped trying to molest Elizabeth, she heard the other woman whisper his name also.

"She goes free!" he shouted as he pointed his pistol at Barbossa from where he was still holding onto Hermione.

Barbossa frowned up at him, "What's in your head, boy?" he asked him.

"She goes free!" he shouted, gesturing to Hermione again and then he noticed Elizabeth and gestured towards her, "She goes free as well!" he added.

Barbossa frowned before chuckling slightly, "You've only got one shot, and we can't die," he explained as he smiled a horrid smile at Will.

Jack looked at Will, gaining his attention, "Don't do anything stupid," he whispered loudly to him.

Will ignored him and answered Barbossa, "You can't. I can," he said as he pointed the gun at himself, and leaned out over the ocean.

"Like that," Jack whispered as he closed his eyes and sighed.

Barbossa's frown deepened as he wondered who this brave boy was that would risk his life for a bunch of scoundrels, "Who are you?" he asked him in confusion and a little annoyance.

Jack moved to stand in front of Barbossa then to try and stop Will from answering, "No one. He's no one. A distant cousin of my aunt's nephew twice removed. Lovely singing voice, though – eunuch," Jack told him with a smile as he pointed down as Barbossa raised his eyebrows at him.

Will glared at Jack before addressing Barbossa once more, "My name is Will Turner. My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner. His blood runs in my veins," he told him and Barbossa's eyes widened slightly in recognition upon realising the resemblance as Jack lowered his head in defeat and moved back to where he had been standing before.

Pintel squinted at Will; the pirates murmured in surprise. Ragetti gasped and pointed at him, "He's the spitting image of ol' Bootstrap Bill come back to haunt us," he said to the murmured agreements of the rest of Barbossa's crew.

Will ignored them and pointed the gun to his own neck, "On my word do as I say or I'll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones' Locker," he threatened as he placed his finger on the trigger.

"Will, don't!" Hermione shouted and Will glanced at her before looking back at Barbossa.

Jack dropped his head. Barbossa grinned at him, "Looks like your back to having nothing to offer," he said with a chuckle as Jack closed his eyes in annoyance.

"And he's got Old Bill's courage. A curse on him, and you!" Pintel shouted out as he stared at Will in slight fear.

Barbossa stepped forward, "Name your terms, Mr Turner," Barbossa said to him.

Will pointed to Hermione, "Let her go," he said as Barbossa let her go, "Elizabeth and Cassandra both go free," he told him.

Barbossa nodded, "Yes, we know that one. Anything else?" he asked him a little mockingly.

Will looked over at Jack then and saw him pointing at himself. Will gestured towards them with his pistol before pointing it back at himself, "And the crew – the crew are not to be harmed," he told him and Jack rolled his eyes as he had meant for Will to tell Barbossa to let them go free as well.

Barbossa considers; his crew waits. Finally he answered, "Agreed. You have my word, as a gentleman of fortune–" he was cut off.

"Will – you can't trust him," Elizabeth said imploringly as she looked at Will in worry.

Will thought about that before turning back to Barbossa, "You must swear by the Holy Bible," he told him as Barbossa's crew looked to their captain.

Barbossa looked at Will as if he'd just grown another head, "Eh? You have my word, then – on the Good Book, I do swear, and the Lord spare my worthless soul," he said as he crossed himself, and his crew followed suit. Will nodded and lowered his gun, stepping down onto the deck as the pirates surrounded him, snatching the pistol away from him, "Boatswain! Take your captives below decks. Chain them in the galley, and teach 'em how to row," Barbossa ordered a few of his crew who led the captives away.

Barbossa looked out to the sea then, towards the islet as a cheer went up from the pirates, and Will clicked on to what Barbossa intended to do, and began struggling against his captors, "No! You gave your word!" Will shouted angrily as Elizabeth and Hermione were led towards the plank.

Barbossa glanced at him, "Quiet, boy, or you'll lose your tongue. Those as know me know I wouldn't cross my word, and bring down bad luck on the ship," he answered before turning and nodding at Pintel.

"Go on, Poppet, go! Walk the plank!" Pintel said to Elizabeth who gave him a look of disgust.

"Barbossa, you lying bastard! You swore they'd go free!" Will shouted at Barbossa.

Barbossa rolled his eyes and turned back to him, "Don't dare impugn me honour, boy. I agreed they'd go free, but it was you who failed to specify when or where," he said with a chuckle as Will was gagged and Barbossa turned to look at Elizabeth and Hermione, "Now my terms," he said as he turned back to Will, "one stays and one goes," he said with a smile as Will began making noises of anger.

"What should we do?" Hermione whispered as Elizabeth shook her head.

"I'll go," Elizabeth told her gently, but firmly.

"No, I'll go," Hermione told her, but Elizabeth shook her head firmly, "Why?" Hermione asked in frustration.

"I do not like the idea of you being stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere with nothing, Cassandra. I will not allow it, and plus father would not be best pleased if I did that. I am the eldest after all, it is only right," Elizabeth paused and looked at Will before looking at Jack, "Look after those two," she whispered as she turned towards the plank.

"Elizabeth, no…" Hermione whispered as she walked forward and pulled the older woman into her arms.

"We'll meet again little sister," Elizabeth whispered as Hermione pulled away, feeling the tears welling in her eyes. She wanted to argue with her, but she knew she couldn't win… Elizabeth was way too stubborn to listen.

Barbossa looked back and forth between then, "Decided then," he said as he walked towards Elizabeth, "Though it does seem a shame to lose something so fine, don't it lads?" he asked his crew.

"Aye!" they all shouted in agreement.

Barbossa smirked and looked back at her, "So I'll be having that dress back before you go," he told her as he held out his hand to take it.

Elizabeth glared at him as she untied the ties on the front of the dress and slipped it off as Jack turned to the pirate that was holding him, "I always liked you," he whispered as the pirate growled at him.

Elizabeth finally had the dress off leaving her in her under-dress, "It goes with your black heart," she shouted as she threw the dress at him.

Barbossa chuckled as he caught it and pressed it to his face, "Ooh, it's still warm." he said as he threw it to the crew.

"Off you go! Come on!" a pirate shouted as Elizabeth began slowly making her way down the plank.

Bo'sun rolled his eyes, "Too long!" he shouted as he stomped his foot down on the plank, which caused it to shake and Elizabeth fell into the water with a splash.

"Elizabeth!" Hermione shouted in worry as behind her, Will made more angry noises.

Jack looked around in slight shock as two of Barbossa's men dragged him over to the plank also. Jack looked down at the plank before turning, "I'd really rather hoped we were past all this," he said to Barbossa with a slight pleading look on his face.

Barbossa smiled while placing his arm around Jack's shoulder, "Jack…, Jack. Did ya not notice? That be the same little island that we made you Governor of on our last little trip," he told him as he pointed out to the distant island.

Jack turned to look at it before looking back at Barbossa, "I did notice." he answered, "When you sail the open sea as long as I, you learn to trust the signs fate sends your way," Jack said irritably.

Barbossa smiled a toothy smile, "Perhaps you'll be able to conjure up another miraculous escape…, but I doubt it," he said as he unsheathed his sword and brandished it at Jack's throat, "Off you go," he said as Jack subconsciously began moving backwards towards the plank.

Jack stopped just before stepping onto the plank and sighed, "It's pure evil to make a Captain walk the plank of his own ship, twice in one lifetime. No good can come of it," he warned Barbossa.

Barbossa chuckled, lifting the sword so the blade rested just under Jack's chin, "Now, Jack. That reef is less than a league distance. It's a square deal all around, and you can't hope for better," he told him as Jack nodded absently.

"Someone needs to cut these bonds, then," Jack requested of him.

Barbossa smiled, showing a pistol and pointed it at Jack, "You'd best take a swim, Jack," he told him firmly.

Jack's eyes widened as he looked at the pistol and then back at Barbossa, "Last time, you left me a pistol with one shot," he said as he raised his eyebrows while looking at Barbossa rather hopefully.

The pirates muttered in agreement, "That's proper, sir, according to the code," he said as Ragetti nodded.

Barbossa feigned looking slightly shocked by this, "By the powers, you're right," he answered as he turned to his crew, "Where be Jack 's pistol? Bring it forward," Barbossa ordered as one of the pirates brought it forward and handed it to Barbossa.

Jack looked at the one pistol momentarily before looking at the island, "Seeing as there's two of us, a gentleman… would give us a pair of pistols," Jack said hopefully.

Barbossa shook his head, "It'll be one pistol as before and you can be the gentleman and shoot the lady and starve to death yourself," he answered as he threw the pistol into the sea, "That is, presuming you're both not drowned," he smirked as Jack glared at him, "So how did you get off that island, anyway?" he asked Jack curiously as Jack looked down at the water where his pistol had disappeared.

Jack looked at him nonchalantly, "You can go to your grave not knowing," he answered.

"That's fair," Barbossa answered as if he really didn't care as he watched Jack dive into the ocean after his pistol.

Jack plunged down into the water, appearing on the surface, floundering as he struggled to stay afloat. Elizabeth, who was still in the water, spotted Jack below her now, sinking and struggling. Sighing, she took a deep breath and began swimming down, and untied his bonds before swimming back for the surface. Looking around, she fully expected to see Jack surface next to her, but as she looked around she saw him, inexplicably, swimming the other way, further into the depths. Confused, she watched as, finally, Jack broke the surface next to her, sucking in air. He pulled his hand out of the water, showing her what he went after; it was his pistol, which he tucked into his shirt. Elizabeth stared at him in disbelief, "You went back for that? We need to head for the reef!" she shouted as she shook her head and began swimming towards the island. Jack shrugged before following her.

They waded out onto the beach where Jack looked back at the Pearl, shaking his head, "That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship," he muttered as behind him, Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

_**A/N: Hello! Sorry for the cliffy here, but if I had continued this it would have been too long. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it, please leave me a review!**_


	10. Unexpected Bastardy

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to PotC nor HP as they remain the properties of their respective owners. I do own the plot though and any additional characters I add. Also, familiar dialogue is from the PotC films which belongs to Disney and the director Gore Verbinski.**

**A/N: Another chapter peeps! Hope you all enjoy it :) Please leave a review!**

ooOoo

_**Chapter 10: Unexpected Bastardy**_

Elizabeth walked along the surf line, her bare feet leaving prints in the sand, and she finally met up with matching footprints she made earlier, going in the same direction. She had walked all the way around the island. Jack watched her from his position, sitting on the beach, "Not all that big, is it?" he said to her as she past him. He had taken out his pistol earlier, dismantled it, laying the parts, ball, and the powder to dry on his scarf.

"Has it changed since the last time you were here?" she asked as she watched him.

"The trees are taller," he answered distractedly as he checked to see if the pistol parts were dry, and they were. He set about reassembling and loading his pistol, feeling a lot better about it being usable again.

Elizabeth frowned at him, "I hope you have no intention of using that," she said, worry in her tone.

Jack finished putting his pistol back together, and shoved it into his belt as he stood, "Not yet. Ask me again in a few weeks," he told her as he began walking off towards the trees.

Elizabeth gaped at him, not believing her ears, "Captain Sparrow! We have to get off this island, immediately!" she shouted after him, as she began following him.

Jack stopped and looked at her, "Don't be thinking I'm not already working on it," he answered with a sigh, before turning on his heel and walking through the trees to the other side of the island.

Elizabeth watched him for a moment before following, "But you were marooned on this island before, weren't you? So we can escape in the same way you did then," she reasoned with him as he continued walking at a fast pace.

Jack spun around, "To what point and purpose, young Missy?" he asked as she looked back at him with a frown, "The Black Pearl is gone, and unless you have a rudder and a lot of sails hidden in that bodice – unlikely – young Mr Turner will be dead long before you can reach him and who know what will have happened to your bonny wee sister," he explained to her before he continued walking.

Elizabeth followed as she watched him knock on a tree trunk, "But you're Captain Jack Sparrow. You vanished from under the eyes of seven agents of the East India Company," she said, counting off the things he had done while he took four large steps and began jumping up and down on the spot a few times, "You sacked Nassau Port without even firing a shot. Are you the pirate I've read about or not?" she said to him as he stopped and looked at her, "How did you escape last time?" she asked him.

Jack sighed before hesitantly beginning his seemingly heroic tale, "Last time…, I was here a grand total of three days, all right?" he answered as she frowned at him in shock, "Last time…," he paused as he began climbing up towards a clump of palm trees, digging for something beneath the sand. He let out a nervous laugh as he found what he was looking for: a large iron ring.

"What is that? Is there a boat under there?" Elizabeth asked him as she rushed up to join him. Jack ignored her and heaved the trap door up and over, revealing a pit. Inside there were barrels and bottles of rum, all covered with dust and cobwebs, long abandoned, and Jack's face fell, "What? What's wrong? How will this help us get off the island?" Elizabeth asked him.

Jack sighed as he kicked a barrel, "It won't. It won't, and so we won't," he answered and continued before Elizabeth could start speaking, "Last time, the rum-runners used this island as a cache. Came by and I was able to barter a passage off," he explained as he climbed into the cellar properly, "From the looks of things, they've long been out of business. Probably…, have your bloody friend Norrington to thank for that," he told her as he climbed out with two bottles of rum in his hands.

Elizabeth looked at him angrily as she raised her hands in frustration, "So that's it then? That's the secret grand adventure of the infamous Jack Sparrow?" she asked as he nodded and she looked at him in annoyance, "You spent three days lying on a beach, drinking rum!" she asked angrily.

Jack smiled, "Welcome to the Caribbean, love," he answered as he walked away. He turned back to her for a moment, saluting her with his bottle, "You should look at our contretemps this way: we've got shaded trees, thank the Lord. We've got some food on the trees, thank the Lord again. Moreover, we've got rum, praise the Lord. We can stay alive a month, maybe more. Keep a weather eye open for passing ships, and our chances are fair," he told her, but this was not what Elizabeth wanted to hear.

"A month? Will doesn't have a month! And god knows what they will do to Cassandra! We've got to do something to help them!" Elizabeth shouted.

Jack raised his eyebrows, "You're right," he answered, hoisting the bottle, "Here's luck to you, Will Turner," he said and took a drink, defiantly returning her angry gaze, before turning away and sitting down, "As for your lovely sister, she is a spitfire to be sure. I'm sure she can handle herself," he said, glancing back at Elizabeth who was still glaring at him, "Don't be thinking I'm happy about this, Elizabeth, but I see no use in wailing and gnashing my teeth over that which I can do nothing about," he told her seriously before taking another swig of rum.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "Not when you can drink instead, at least," she answered angrily.

Jack sighed and picked up the other bottle he had taken as well, tossing it to her, "Try it. It goes down rough, but it goes down, and the second swig goes down easier," he told her before taking another drink.

Elizabeth looked down at the bottle angrily, about to throw it away when she stopped, considering something and came to a decision and she looked at Jack for a long moment, before walking over and sitting next to him.

She glanced at him before unsealing the bottle, and took a swig and almost gagged at the strong aftertaste. For a while, the two of them sat in silence, looking out at the horizon, before she broke the silence, "And you will call me Miss Swann," she muttered, as Jack looked at her in slight surprise before toasting her. Elizabeth studied the bottle, before giving Jack a sidelong glance, and then took another drink. The sun was setting on the horizon as the two of them managed to get a fire going and Jack began drinking his bottle of rum heartily. Jack, who was quite drunk, didn't seem to notice Elizabeth had only been sipping hers and was nowhere near as drunk as him. As the two sat by the fire, Elizabeth began humming lightly before singing under her breath, "Drink up me hearties, yo ho…"

Jack looked at her, "What? What was that?" he asked as Elizabeth smiled in embarrassment, "Something funny, Miss Swann? Share, please," he said as he nudged her gently with his bottle.

Elizabeth chuckled, "Nothing…, it's nothing. Just…, I'm reminded of a song I learned as a child. A song about pirates," she told him as she took another drink.

"I know a lot of songs about pirates, but none I'd teach a child. Let's hear it," he said as he leaned back on his elbows in the sand.

"Oh, no…, it's silly. Back in England we didn't know a thing about pirates, really. They seemed so romantic and daring…" she trailed off as Jack sat back up, looking at her with a smirk on his face, and she knew he had liked the sound of that so she continued, "That was before I met one, of course," she added, looking at him, but this never seemed to faze him.

"Now I must hear this song. An authentic pirate song. Have at it!" he insisted.

Elizabeth chuckled at his enthusiasm, "Well, perhaps…, with a bit more to drink, I might…" she trailed off as she took another sip of her rum.

Jack leapt up, "More to drink!" he shouted as he ran to gather two more bottles, tossing one to her. Elizabeth quickly dropped the one she was holding, which was only half-finished, to catch the new bottle. Elizabeth glanced back at the other one lying in the sand and grimaced, instead opening her new bottle, and took a sip. Jack appeared back at her side, sitting down cross-legged in the sand, "Well?" he asked, nudging her with his bottle.

Elizabeth took another sip before clearing her throat, and she began to sing self-consciously, her voice becoming stronger as she went on, "We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, we loot, Drink up me hearties, yo ho," she sang and gestured for Jack to take a drink, which he did, before continuing, "We kidnap and ravage and we don't give a hoot, Drink up me hearties, yo ho—" she stopped briefly as Jack joined in.

Jack sang out a lot louder than Elizabeth, and eventually he stood up, pulling her up as well and they began singing and dancing arm in arm around the fire, "We're devils and black sheep and really bad eggs. Drink up me 'earties yo ho! Yo ho, yo ho a pirate's life for me!" they sang as they continued to dance.

"I love this song!" Jack shouted out as they both met each other in the middle, and swung around arm in arm again, "Really bad eggs! Ooh!" he said as he fell, taking Elizabeth down with him. He sighed and looked out onto the horizon, "When I get the Pearl back, I'm gonna teach it to the whole crew and we'll sing it all the time!" he told her with a smile, which Elizabeth returned while saluting the idea with her bottle. Jack had tossed his empty bottle behind him so he was unable to return the salute. Elizabeth handed him hers, which he took a large swig off before settling shakily on his arms in the sand.

Elizabeth smiled back, feigning being drunk, "You'll be positively the most fearsome pirate in the Spanish Main," Elizabeth said, feeding his ego.

Jack shook his head a little, "Not just the Spanish Main, love. The entire ocean. The entire wo'ld. Wherever we want to go, we'll go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails that's what a ship needs, but what a ship is… what the Black Pearl really is… is freedom," he explained to her as she smiled and nodded.

Elizabeth leaned her head against his shoulder, "Jack…, it must be really terrible for you to be trapped on this island," she said as Jack looked at her a little confusedly because she was leaning on him.

Jack shrugged a little, "Oh, yes," he answered as he put his arm around her, "But the company is infinitely better than last time, I think. The scenery has definitely improved," he said, complimenting her as well. He made to move in and so did she, their lips touching ever so slightly before she moved away.

Elizabeth laughed slightly as she looked at him, "Mr Sparrow… I'm not entirely sure that I've had enough rum to allow that kind of talk," she explained as she mentally slapped herself for kissing him.

Jack smiled, "I know exactly what you mean, love," he answered as he curled his moustache.

Elizabeth grabbed one of the other bottles lying by the fire, opening it, and raised it in a toast, "To freedom," she said as Jack raised his own bottle.

"To the Black Pearl," he toasted as they clinked their bottles together and he began downing his own and lost consciousness as Elizabeth looked on in disgust before looking at the fire and smiling. Elizabeth got up, leaving Jack where he was passed out and made for the cellar. She grabbed barrels of food, bottles of rum, and anything else she could find before carrying them back and throwing them on the fire.

ooOoo

Jack was fast asleep, lying in the sunlight that was appearing on the horizon. Hi nose began to twitch as stirred, and smoke drifted by above him. As the smoke drifted nearer to him, his nose twitched again, and he frowned before opening his eyes. Jack groaned as he sat up, rubbing his temples to clear his morning hangover, before looking over and realising that all the foliage in the middle of the island was on fire, and the smoke was rising up into the clear blue sky. Leaping to his feet, he grabbed his head in pain and squinted as he watched Elizabeth pouring out the last of the rum, dousing a scrub brush at the base of a palm tree. The whole thing suddenly went up in flames, before she rolled a barrel forward and it also started to burn merrily.

Jack stared in disbelief, wondering if he was having some horrible nightmare and slapped himself to wake up, but when he saw Elizabeth toss another barrel onto the fire and a small explosion went off he began to panic, "No! Not good! Stop! Not good!" he shouted as he ran over to her, "What are you doing? You burned all the food, the shade! The rum!" he shouted as he grabbed his head in irritation as he looked at her.

"Yes, the rum is gone," she answered as she looked at the massive fire, wiping her hands together as another rum barrel let off another explosion.

Jack stared at her in bewilderment, "Why is the rum gone?" he asked as if it was the end of the world.

Elizabeth turned to him sharply, causing him to take a step back as he could see anger building in her eyes, "One, because it is a vile drink that turns even the most respectable men into complete scoundrels," she explained as Jack stared at her blankly, so she continued, "Two, that signal is over a thousand feet high. The entire Royal Navy is out looking for me and Cassandra, do you really think that there is even the slightest chance that they won't see it?" she asked him, but sighed in irritation as his blank look didn't lift.

Jack stared at her in disbelief, "You…, you burned up the island, for a one-time chance at being spotted?"

"Exactly," she answered, before turning towards the sea.

"But why is the rum gone?" he asked again in anger this time.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, sitting down on the sand to stare out at the horizon, "Just wait, Captain Sparrow," she told him without looking at him and pointed to the horizon, "You give it one hour, maybe two, keep a weather eye out and then you will see white sails on that horizon," she told him as she shielded her eyes, scanning the water determinedly, waiting, and searching.

Speechless, Jack threw his hands in the air, before looking down at her with unguarded anger, and took out his pistol to shoot her for what he deemed her insolence and selfishness at burning his precious rum, but he thought better of it, and placed it back in his belt before stalking off up the sand dune in anger just to get away from her. As he got to the top of the dune, he glanced back down where he could see a small speck sitting on the sand, "'Must've been terrible for you to be trapped here, Jack. Must've been terrible for you'," he imitated Elizabeth before shouting, "Well it bloody is now!" Jack reached the crest of the dune where she stopped, staring incredulously at the horizon. Anchored on the other side of the island, white sails glorious against the turquoise waters, was the H.M.S. Dauntless, and in the water was a longboat rowing towards the island. Jack rubbed his eyes in frustration, before looking back down towards the beach, "There'll be no living with her after this," he muttered as he slumped his shoulders in defeat.

ooOoo

Jack made his way back down to the beach just as the rowboat was pulling onto the shore. Elizabeth and Jack got in, and they were rowed back to the Dauntless. It wasn't long before they were on board and Norrington pulled Elizabeth into his arms, "Elizabeth, I'm relieved you're safe," he said, and Elizabeth pulled away giving him a nervous smile.

"Yes I'm fine, Commodore," she answered, "but we've got to save Will and Cassandra," she told him, but he shook his head and Elizabeth looked at him in shock.

He turned towards Jack, raising his eyebrows before nodding to the soldiers, "Clap him in irons, and behind his back this time," he ordered them as they fetched the irons and clapped them on Jack.

"Commodore, you can't do that!" Elizabeth shouted, beginning to panic slightly.

"You're speaking up for him again?" Norrington asked, rounding on her.

Elizabeth shook her head, "He can locate Isla de Muerta – but I doubt he'll be willing to help us from the brig," she told him.

Jack nodded, "She's right. We had time to get to know each other," he answered, smiling at Elizabeth who rolled her eyes.

Norrington sighed, "We are bound for Port Royal, not Isla de Muerta," he told her as he made to walk up to the bridge.

Elizabeth stared at him in disbelief, "No. The pirates have taken Will–" she started, but she was cut off.

"No. You're safe now and we have already sent soldiers out to save Cassandra. Your father is frantic with worry. Our mission was to rescue you both and return home to Port Royal immediately, not go gallivanting after pirates!" he told her sternly but Elizabeth was having none of it.

"Then we condemn them to death," she asked in shock. She couldn't believe they weren't even going to go after Cassandra, "Commodore, please!"

Norrington sighed, "Cassandra will be safe once she is found and the boy's fate is regrettable, but so was his decision to engage in piracy," he answered but Elizabeth threw up her hands in the air in frustration.

"To rescue me. To prevent anything from happening to me," she answered, before shaking her head worriedly, "Cassandra was with them! They will not hesitate to kill her as well after they have killed Will. They may even kill her beforehand! Do those soldiers, you sent out, even know the way to Isla de Muerta?" she asked as Norrington seemed to think about it.

Jack raised his eyebrows at this and decided to step in, "If I may be so bold as to inject my professional opinion," he said as they all turned to him as he continued, "The Pearl was listing near to scuppers after the battle. It's very unlikely she'll be able to make good time. Think about it. The Black Pearl. The last real pirate threat in the Caribbean, mate. How can you pass that up?" he asked as the Commodore turned to him.

"By remembering that I serve others, Mr Sparrow, not only myself," he answered as he went to walk away again.

Elizabeth looked stricken at this, _how can they just leave Cassandra?_ She thought before stepping forward and placing her hands on the handrails of the stairs to the Helm of the ship, "Commodore, I beg you, please do this. For me. As a wedding gift," she said as she stared up at him.

Norrington turned to her in shock as Gillette asked, "Elizabeth, are you accepting the Commodore's proposal?"

Elizabeth sighed slightly, "I am," she answered as she continued to look up at Norrington hopefully.

Jack smiled, "A wedding! I love weddings… drinks all around!" he shouted as Murtogg and Mullroy looked at him in bewilderment. Jack looked at the arrogant expression on Norrington's face and extended his arms, "I know, 'Clap him in irons,' right?" he asked with a smile still etched on his face.

Norrington rolled his eyes slightly, "Mr Sparrow, you will accompany these fine men to the Helm and provide us with the bearing to Isla de Muerta," he told him as Jack nodded, "You will then spend the rest of the voyage contemplating all possible meanings of the phrase 'silent as the grave.' Do I make myself clear?" he asked as Jack smiled.

Jack nodded, "Inescapably clear," he answered as Murtogg and Mullroy took his arms and dragged him up to the Helm of the ship.

Norrington turned to Elizabeth, "You may seclude yourself in my cabin. I'm afraid we do not have any ladies' clothing aboard," he told her as he took in her undergarments.

Elizabeth looked down at herself, "Then I can wear men's clothing," she suggested.

"That would hardly be proper," Norrington argued, shaking his head.

Elizabeth huffed, "Well, I am not going to stay hidden in some cabin, or I suppose it's going to be heaving bosoms and bare for the remainder of the voyage!" she answered stubbornly, folding her arms over her chest.

Exasperated, Norrington stared at her, but couldn't help grinning at her defiance knowing that this was exactly why he loves her, and she grinned back at him as if telling him she's not going to change, "Murtogg, take our guest below, and find her some trousers, and a shirt," he ordered him, and Elizabeth smiled as she allowed herself to be escorted away. Norrington watched her go, before turning his gaze to the sea.

ooOoo

Back on the Black Pearl, Pintel entered the cell looking in the one Will and Hermione had been locked in, but there was no sign of Will because he was hanging from the rafters, trying to shove the ceiling planks with his legs. Pintel chuckled, causing Hermione to raise her eyebrows in question, "That ain't going to work. That's the gun deck above ya," he shouted up to Will who sighed and dropped back down lightly to the ground.

Ragetti came down then with two mops and a bucket, and he began swabbing the floor, while Pintel took the other one and got to work. Gibbs and the rest of Jack's crew were watching as Cotton's Parrot looked down and squawked, "Awwk, shiver me timbers," he said as Gibbs chuckled slightly.

Gibbs looked at Pintel, "Cotton 'ere says you missed a bit," he told him as Pintel hit the cell with his mop.

Hermione looked up as Will leaned against the cell bars and looked at Pintel, "You knew William Turner?" he asked as Hermione came to stand next to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Pintel stopped mopping and looked at Will, "Ol' Bootstrap Bill. We knew him. Stupid blighter. He threw in with us after we relieved Jack Sparrow of his captaincy, but turned out, it never sat well with him, the mutiny and all – particularly after we found Cortes' treasure, and its peculiar condition. He thought we deserved to be cursed, for leaving ol' Jack to the fate we did. He said it wasn't right with the Code. That's why he sent off a piece of the treasure – to you, as it were: so it would never be recovered, and so cursed we remain," he explained as he started mopping again.

"And then he ran, and he's hiding out someplace where you haven't been able to find him," Will said, his tone slightly hopeful.

"That's a nice thought, to be sure, and I wager your ol' dad wishes he'd thought it hisself, but, no. See, what he'd done, didn't sit too well with Captain Barbossa–" he was cut off.

Ragetti laughed, "That didn't sit too well with the Captain, at all. Tell him what Barbossa did," he told Pintel who rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"I'm telling the story!" he shouted at Ragetti who continued swabbing before turning back to Will, "so he chained a cannon to ol' Bootstrap's Bootstraps, and dumped him over," he answered as Will stepped back from the bars in shock at the account of his father's fate.

Ragetti laughed slightly, "Stupid blighter," he said as Pintel laughed in agreement.

Gibbs frowned, "Good man," he put in.

"The last we saw of ol' Bill Turner, he was sinking to the crushing black oblivion of Davy Jones' Locker. 'Course it was only after that we learned we needed his blood to lift the curse," he finished with a frown and a shrug.

"That's what you call ironic," Ragetti added to Pintel's nod as Will looked down at the floor of the Pearl sadly and Hermione rubbed his back.

Barbossa appeared then behind Pintel, flanked by several other pirates. He regarded Will for a moment, before tossing the key to their cell to Pintel who caught it, "Bring them!" he ordered before turning on his heel and making his way back up. Will looked down at Hermione worriedly before pulling her into his arms and kissing her forehead as Ragetti opened the cell door.

ooOoo

Jack stepped up to the rail, folding his arms over, waiting as he pretended to look out at the sea. Elizabeth, dressed in sailors clothing to excellent effect, joined him and leaned on the rail as well. They stood in silence for a moment before Elizabeth glanced at him, "You didn't tell Commodore Norrington everything," she said to him.

"Nor did you, I noticed," Jack said looking at his fingernails before looking at her.

"He might delay the rescue…, and that would be too late," Elizabeth answered, defending her reasoning for not going in to detail with Norrington.

Jack smiled, "Exactly," he agreed.

"These men will be facing an enemy that seemingly cannot be killed," Elizabeth said worriedly, wondering what will become of all the soldiers who had no idea what they were going to be up against.

"I have a plan. If it succeeds, then any battle will be decidedly brief…, and one-sided," Jack answered with a smirk.

Elizabeth looked at him and frowned, "What's your plan?" she asked curiously.

"LAND HO!" the look out in the crow's nest called out.

Jack and Elizabeth looked in the direction the lookout was pointing in to see the Isla de Muerta lay dark and menacing on the horizon. Norrington appeared beside them with Gillette, "Elizabeth – below decks. I will not compromise your safety," he said defiantly, leaving no room for argument even as she opened her mouth to speak; he turned away, not giving her a chance, "Lieutenant, escort Elizabeth to my quarters, and make sure she stays there," he ordered Gillette who looked between the Commodore and the now glaring Elizabeth worriedly. Norrington pretended to not notice this as he gazed through his spyglass at the island, while Jack watched in amusement as Elizabeth was escorted away. Norrington lowered his spyglass, and looked at Jack, "I don't like the situation, Mister Sparrow. The island is riddled with caves. I will not put my men at a disadvantage. Any attempt to storm the caves could turn to an ambush," he told him sternly.

Jack smiled a toothy grin, "Not if you're the one doing the ambushing," he answered before telling him his plan as if they were about to go on a treasure hunt, "I go in, I convince Barbossa to send his men out with their little boats. You and your mates return to the Dauntless and blast the bejesus outta them with your little cannons, eh?" he told him as Norrington became thoughtful, then his look turned to disgust as Jack placed an arm around his shoulder, "What do you have to lose?" Jack asked him with a smile.

Norrington took a deep breath and counted to ten in his head before peeling Jack's arm off from around his shoulders, "Nothing I'd lament being rid of," he answered as Jack nodded.

"I knew you'd listen to reason!" Jack exclaimed, before turning slightly serious, tapping his chin, and clicking his tongue, "Now, to be quite honest with you, there's still a slight risk for those aboard the Dauntless, which includes the future Mrs Commodore," Jack told him as the Commodore looked back in confusion as a longboat was being prepared to be lowered over the side. Jack wrapped his pistol securely in an oilskin pouch, "That chart I drew up'll get you past the reefs. If you're steersman's good enough, that is," Jack informed him.

Norrington glanced sideways at him, "I'll be at the wheel myself," he answered as Jack nodded.

"I'll slip in, talk them into coming out, and you'll be free to blow holy high heaven the whole lot of them," Jack told him as they got into the boat and the crewmen lowered them into the water.

ooOoo

Up on the Dauntless, Elizabeth was being pulled to the cabin by Gillette and another soldier and was thrown in. Elizabeth tried to go back out, but Gillette stopped her, "Sorry, but it's for your own safety," he told her as Elizabeth punched the other soldier, causing him to grab his, now, bleeding nose.

"Coward! The commodore ordered – I have to tell him! The pirates! They're cursed! They cannot be killed!" she shouted, but only realised afterward how insane she must have sounded.

Gillette smiled mockingly, "Don't worry, miss, he's already informed of that. A little mermaid flopped up on deck and told him the whole story," he told her as he shut the door.

Elizabeth banged on the door for a while, "This is Jack Sparrow's doing!" she shouted as the lock clicked and she leaned against the door in frustration.

ooOoo

In the caves, the group of pirates moved deeper into the depths of the island. Hermione and Will moved along unwillingly, being pulled by Ragetti and Pintel, "No reason to fret. It's just a prick of the finger, and a few drops of blood," he told Will mockingly.

Barbossa turned then with a grin, "Turner blood doesn't flow pure in his veins. Best play it safe, and spill it all," he told them as the colour from Will's face drained, and Hermione looked at him worriedly.

Pintel shrugged, "I guess there is a reason to fret," he said with a grin.

In the torchlight, Hermione noticed cracks running between the floor, and the wall of the cave, which widened into a ravine. Barbossa suddenly appeared next to her, laying a hand on her shoulder making her jump, "Careful, now. You could fall in and still be wonder'n when you'll hit dirt," he said to her with a grin as she stepped away from the ravine.

Making a sudden decision, she intentionally stumbled as Ragetti pushed her forward, and closing her eyes knowing that what she was about to do may make Will hate her or even afraid of her, she took out her wand and cast the disarming charm towards the pirate in front of her, causing the torch to fly out of his hand into her waiting hand, and the force of the spell caused the pirate to fall into the wall of the cave. She stood in front of the pirates, armed with the torch and her wand, as she fired another spell at Pintel who let go of Will. Will took that opportunity to get over to her, looking at the wand in confusion as she pointed it at the pirates.

"What is this power!?" Pintel shouted as he stood back up.

Hermione looked sideways at Will, giving him an apologetic expression, "It's called Witchcraft, I'm sure you've heard of it," Hermione answered as she noticed Will's shocked expression. Hermione closed her eyes, knowing she had a lot of explaining to do, "You all deserve to be cursed, and remain cursed!" she shouted and then turned to Will, "Jump into the ravine, now!" she told him and he dropped down without question. Hermione turned back to the pirates and raised her wand at the cave ceiling, "Reducto!" she shouted and jumped into the ravine as the ceiling collapsed, blocking the passageway. The wall of the ravine became loose gravel due to the explosion from the passage ceiling, and Hermione hit it, tumbling down, and disappeared into the darkness below.

"Witchcraft! Blast that girl! A Witch! A pox on that boy, his father, and the whole damnable line! Fan out! Find them! Kill the Witch and bring the boy to me!" Barbossa ordered as the pirates who had not been crushed by the caved in ceiling backtracked down the passage to find a way down into the ravine.

ooOoo

On the Dauntless, Elizabeth looked out of the Captain's small porthole seeing boats laden with Navy men heading towards the shore of the island. Turning away from the porthole, Elizabeth wished there was something she could do. As she looked around for a way to get out of the ship, she suddenly heard a flutter at the window and she looked over to see Cotton's parrot perched on the window ledge, "Drink UP me hearties yo ho! Drink UP me hearties yo ho!" the parrot squawked before fluttering off, and Elizabeth raced towards the porthole, and then to the stern window to see it fly away. Looking down to where Cotton's parrot flew off, she could see a small rowboat fastened to the stern of the ship, and a small hopeful smile flitted onto her face.

ooOoo

Will watched as Hermione got to her feet sheepishly and she looked at him fearfully. Will sighed as he walked towards her and took her wand out of her hand, examining it, "You have a lot of explaining to do, Cassandra. I have no idea how you did what you did, but you have bought us some time," he said as he handed her wand back.

"I know, I promise I'll tell you everything as soon as we are out of this mess," she said, her voice weak with the knowledge that what she will have to tell him may end up with her being the star guest at the gallows.

Will nodded, before taking her hand and they began running through the ravine, turning this way and that. Eventually they could see a light and they headed towards it, turning round a corner, and ran straight into someone. Stepping back in alarm, Will let out a breath of relief as he realised it was Jack. Jack looked between the two of them in surprise, before grabbing their arms, "Do you have any idea where you're going?" he asked them as he glanced at Hermione, who gave him a small smile.

"Jack!" Will exclaimed, feeling like he could hug the bastard, even though he was also wondering how the hell he got there.

"Jack, where's Elizabeth!?" Hermione shouted, hoping that Jack being here meant she was also safe.

"We'll talk later. Don't talk, these caves magnify sound. Just follow me," he told them and they nodded and followed him through the caves.

Jack led them through a series of narrow passages, stopping and staring around himself a few times before carrying on. Will was just behind Jack, pulling Hermione behind him, and the third time they stopped, Hermione sighed getting frustrated, "Are you certain this is the right way?" she asked him.

Jack looked at her for a long moment before answering, "It's the right way," he answered as he nodded to a crack in the wall that he was looking through. The two joined him, looking through the crack to see what he was staring at; through the crack was piles upon piles of treasure, sparkling, glowing, and seemingly endless. On top of the centre pile, in a moonlit clearing, was a stone Aztec chest.

"Thank you, Jack Sparrow," came a voice from behind them, making them jump. Barbossa was standing right behind them, flanked by his men. The trio whirled around to run, but more pirates emerged from all directions, effectively cutting them off. Nearly the entire crew of the Black Pearl was there, except for the few that were crushed by the passage ceiling. The pirates grabbed the three of them, Will and Hermione instantly started struggling, but Jack did not bother fighting at all. Barbossa smirked at all of them in turn, "You couldn't have led him back more directly if you knew exactly where you were going," he laughed and moved forward towards the stone chest. The pirates followed, dragging the three captives with them.

"You did know where you were going! You led us directly to them!" Will shouted angrily as Jack remained silent, not looking at either of his companions.

"Why, Jack?" Hermione asked, her voice quiet and Jack glanced at her, shocked to note the undertone of hurt in her voice.

Jack looked away, not wanting to look at her hurt expression anymore, as Will was grabbed and manhandled towards the chest, "The girl dies once we have dealt with Mr Turner. We wouldn't want her to taint us with her Witchcraft again," Barbossa said as Jack looked at Hermione in confusion, but she had her eyes lowered to the ground. Jack watched as Barbossa walked into the moonlight, becoming skeletal, and put the medallion around Will's neck and picked up a stone knife, "What was begun by blood, let blood now end it!" he shouted to cheers as he raised the knife to Will's throat and Hermione averted her eyes, tears beginning to fall as she really began thinking they were not going to get out of this one. She felt Jack move closer to her, and she looked at him as he winked at her causing her to frown at what he could possibly be planning now.

Jack continued to look at her as he said, "You don't want to be doing that," and then he looked up at Barbossa.

Barbossa made a show of pretending to think about his words, before lowering the knife to Will's throat again, "No, I really think I do," he answered.

Jack shrugged, "All right then, your funeral," he muttered as he looked away.

Barbossa paused then, rolling his eyes and he moved away from Will and out of the moonlight, "Why don't I want to do this?" he asked Jack out of morbid curiosity.

Jack grinned, "Because, right about now, the H.M.S. Dauntless is lying in wait in the lagoon," Jack informed him as Will's eyes widened in horror.

"Jack!" Hermione exclaimed in shock.

Jack ignored them both and continued, "And its guns and crew will cut you and your men to pieces the moment you step outside these caves."

At these words, a buzz of apprehension swept through the pirates, "Do you believe him?" Pintel asked Barbossa who looked as though he was considering Jack's words carefully.

Barbossa shook his head, "No," he answered as Jack's shoulders slumped at this, but he perked up as Barbossa nodded towards Hermione and then Will, "But I believe these two," he said before looking at Will, "He is genuinely angry," he answered to nods from the pirates.

Jack relaxed slightly, "You've no hope of surviving Norrington's attack… that is, if you're mortal," he told Barbossa who looked back towards him with a frown.

"What're you suggesting?" Barbossa asked him curiously.

Jack shook off the hands holding him, strolling towards Barbossa, Will, and the chest of coins. He turned back to look at the pirates for a moment, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Hermione out of fear of what he would see in her eyes, before looking back at Barbossa, "Simple. Don't kill the boy yet. Wait for a more opportune moment," he suggested as Will glared at him, listening to every word he was saying. Jack moved over to the chest, looking at Will for a moment before scooping up a handful of coins from the chest. Keeping eye contact with Will, he began dropping the coins one-by-one back into the chest as he spoke, "Like after you've killed… Every… Last… One… of Norrington's men," he said emphasising his words with a drop of a coin.

Barbossa eyed him suspiciously, "I can't help wondering, Jack, why you're being so helpful and all? Last time you did that, it didn't end well for you," he said as he clicked his tongue trying to figure Jack out.

"The situation has changed," Jack answered, turning back towards him.

"That so?" Barbossa asked, raising his eyebrows and gesturing for Jack to explain.

"Aye. See, after you're done with the Royal Navy, you'll have a bit of a problem: the H.M.S. Dauntless. There you'll be, with two lovely ships on your hands, and what to do? Of course you'll decide you deserve the bigger one, and who's to argue? The Dauntless a first-rate ship-of-line, and with it, you can rule the seas," he paused for a beat to let this sink in before continuing, "But if you're Captain of the Dauntless, who's left for the Black Pearl?" he asked with a smile as he spreads his hands, "Me! I sail for you as part of your fleet, I give you fifteen percent of my plunder, and you get to introduce yourself at tea parties and brothels as 'Commodore Barbossa'," he said as he stuck out his hand towards Barbossa, "Do we have an accord?" he asked as Barbossa licked his lips, obviously temped, "Now, you can take care of the Dauntless, right?" he said, his tone hopeful.

Barbossa turned from Jack to the pirates, "Men! Are you up for it?" he asked them as the pirates yelled back in the affirmative. Barbossa turned back to Jack, shaking his hand, "Mr Pintel, select five men to stay here. Take the rest of the men out… not through the caves," he ordered, keeping his eyes on Jack.

Jack's expression faltered slightly; this he hadn't planned on, "There's… another exit?" he asked hi in surprise.

Barbossa smirked, "Aye, for us there is," he answered.

ooOoo

Moonlight shone down into the shallow waters, brightening the coral, and sparkling over the rippled sand floor. Suddenly, all the fish began to scatter in the seemingly empty water, and then figures appeared in the distance, seeming to waver in the shifting current. They scuffle forward, kicking up clouds of sand, and the figures resolved into skeletal pirates, moving silently across the lagoon floor, swords glinting. The tatters of their clothing drift in the water, their skull heads fixed in endless grins.

The lead pirate glided forward, and stopped next to a huge iron anchor twice his height, even buried halfway into the sand. A heavy chain with barrel-sized links climbed up toward the surface. A shadow fell across the lead pirate, transforming him into a normal man which revealed him to be Pintel. He looked up, above the heavy chain led to the giant bottom hull of the H.M.S. Dauntless, silhouetted by the moonlight. The huge shift drifts, again spilling moonlight below, and the pirates gathered around the anchor are once again transformed into skeletons, staring with upturned faces. Pintel put a knife between his teeth and began to crawl up the iron rings.

The other pirates crowded forward, and soon the anchor-chain became clustered with skeletons.

**A/N:** Here is another chapter. I hope you all liked it, it took me ages to write and I am not sure I really like it to be honest. I had a bit of writers block and was not sure how to write it. Anyway, it is not my opinion that counts and please leave me a review :)


	11. Friend or Foe

_**Chapter 11 – Friend or Foe?**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to PotC nor HP as they remain the properties of their respective owners. I do own the plot though and any additional characters I add. Also, familiar dialogue is from the PotC films which belongs to Disney and the director Gore Verbinski.**_

ooOoo

Elizabeth had managed to get a small boat out, rowing away from the Dauntless, looking ahead over her shoulder. Cotton's parrot was nowhere to be seen at this time. In the distance, Pintel broke through the surface near the Dauntless, intending on climbing up the anchor. He glanced over just as Elizabeth rounded the point, and rocked the obscure longboat from view. Shrugging, and gesturing to his fellow skeletal pirates who had appeared, Pintel began his climb up the anchor.

In the lagoon, two sailors, alert and vigilant, stared out towards the shore, but the island revealed nothing but complete blackness. The sailors jumped upon hearing a strange scurrying sound, it sounded almost like bones scraping against metal, and they continued to listen intently, but after a few moments there was nothing more. The taller of the two shrugged at his companion, "Ship rats. Big ones," he said, chuckling.

The smaller one nodded, "Hate those things," he muttered, scanning the shore for any movement. The two sailors turned back, continuing their vigil. There was a long silence between them before the small one spoke again, "Taste all right, though," he added thoughtfully.

The tall one looked at him for a moment, before looking back out at the shore, "That they do," he agreed with a shrug. From behind, the two sailors were well-lit by a lantern. Shadows suddenly appeared, skeletons were climbing up the ship behind the sailors. Skeletal arms reached up and grabbed the sailors from behind, picking them up and tossing them over the rail, hitting the water with a splash.

Pintel looked down into the water, satisfied with his actions, and put away his knife. Looking down, he noticed a long piece of seaweed in his ribcage and pulled it out, tossing it over into the water as well before turning to the others, "Be quick, now. Train the starboard guns on the beach, and set your aim. Wait for my signal, we don't want to spook them," he ordered and the other pirates scurried off in a hurry to comply.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth rounded the point further until the Black Pearl, anchored in the neighbouring cove, came into her line of sight, "Oh where are Cassandra and Will," she muttered to herself, scanning the cove worriedly. She caught a fleck of colour by the Pearl as Cotton's Parrot darted through a porthole, and Elizabeth slowed her efforts, silently approaching the ship. She drew up as close as she could, climbing up the side as quietly as she could. She climbed over the railing and moved towards the deck, glancing around the corner to see that there were figures on the deck.

Four pirates, who really ought to have been keeping watch, were gathered on the deck having gathered wine bottles and rum casts into a pile, along with apples, biscuits, and all the food they could find on the ship. The moonlight cast them as skeletons, their bones shining like marble, as they acted out a mock-feast, in anticipation of the curse being lifted finally. A skinny skeleton offered two bottles, one of them wine and the other rum, to a big boned skeleton settled on the deck next to him, "Which would you prefer first, good sir - rum, or wine?" he asked him.

The big boned skeleton looked at the two bottles being offered to him, "I believe I'll have a spot o' rum, if you don't mind, and thank'ee kind sir!" he answered in the same mock tone his companion used, and they burst out laughing, a hideous sound that wheezed through their bones.

Behind them, unnoticed as they were not paying attention, Elizabeth peeked cautiously around the corner again. Picking her moment carefully, she sneaked past quickly down a gangway, and disappeared into the darkness of the ship hoping that they had left Cassandra on board, but also praying that they would have enough time to reach Will in the cove.

ooOoo

Scanning the cove, Gillette crouched down before running low behind a line of rocks towards where Norrington waited, hidden behind a larger rock, "All the men are in place, sir. Ready to fire," he reported to which he received a curt nod.

"Good, wait for my order—" he was cut off as a booming sound echoed throughout the night, "What the blazes is that?" he muttered more to himself than to Gillette. They looked around behind them, noticing quickly that it was cannon fire and it was coming from the Dauntless. They dived out of the way as cannonballs hit the shore, and the sounds of the men hidden crying out in anguish reached their ears, "Men! Take cover!" Norrington shouted as the sailors scrambled to find refuge.

ooOoo

Hermione was worried. She felt helpless as she stood on top of the mountain of treasure next to the chest that had caused so much drama amongst the pirates she was held prisoner by. Two bulky pirates flanked her sides, holding on to the chains that bound her. If only she could reach her wand from where she had stored it in her boot when she was taken into the hold of the Black Pearl. Luckily, the pirates hadn't even thought to take it off her, that it may be a weapon of their undoing. However, she had used magic in front of them the last time, though Barbossa hadn't seemed to have thought of how dangerous she was.

She glanced at Will who was looking at Jack as if he might tear him limb from limb, and she wasn't surprised. Jack had betrayed them and it was his fault they were in this place. Though Hermione had to wonder what Jack's game was because he hated Barbossa from what she could recall of her conversation with Gibbs. Why would Jack help the one person who took everything from him?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Will, "You've been planning this from the beginning. Since you learned my name," it wasn't a question, Will was merely stating a fact as he glared at Jack from where he was being guarded by three pirates.

Jack smirked, and Hermione couldn't help but think of Draco Malfoy and wondered if the two were distantly related. Jack glanced at Barbossa before taking the opportunity to move towards him, "Oh, please! Did I really seem that clever?" he asked him, rolling his eyes.

"Jack you sold us out!" Hermione shouted before whimpering as one of the pirates pulled the chain forcefully, causing them to cut into her skin.

Jack paused, looking at her before shooting a glare at the pirates. Hermione looked at him, and he winked at her, smiling slightly before smoothly slipping a sword from one of the pirates scabbards and tossing it to Will who caught it despite his surprise, "Use it well," he said before drawing his own sword and clobbered one of the guards holding Hermione. He quickly hit the other one, grabbed the key, and unlocked the chains binding her before Barbossa and the other pirates recovered from their shock.

Barbossa growled, "Confound it, Jack! I was actually beginning to like you!" he shouted as the pirates drew their swords and advanced on the three companions.

Hermione pulled out her wand, quickly casting protective spells around them, and the two looked at her for a moment, "What on earth—" Will began, but was cut off as a pirate engaged him in battle.

Jack clashed swords with two pirates, but smiled at her, "I knew there was something special about you, love!" he shouted as he thrust his sword through one of the pirates chests, using his foot as leverage to pull it out, and turned to engage the other before he got skewered.

"Yes well, save it for later!" Hermione shouted as she began firing spells at the pirates, finding it to be more effective when they were in their normal form, rather than as skeletons.

Jack and Will were back to back, taking on multiple opponents, each had their own style of fighting. Will parried, glissaded, and disarmed his opponents with lightning fast speed and perfect form, while Jack used his blade, his fists, acrobatics, and anything within his reach to survive. Hermione watched the contrast between them with some amusement, and she would have commented had she not also been fighting for her own survival. Her technique was using the Petrificus Totalus curse to petrify them, and then she would quickly stun them just to be safe as she was still dubious about the last time when her wand wouldn't work against them, but it seemed to be holding this time thankfully.

ooOoo

On the beach, the sailors charged towards refuge just as the moon emerged from behind a cloud, and suddenly an army of skeletons rose up from the sea, charging the stunned sailors, and several of them were struck down, "Steady, men! Remember – we're the Navy!" Norrington shouted and the sailors recovered their nerve at these words, engaging the enemy making it a full on battle between the Royal Navy against the Skeleton Pirates. Eventually the Navy men were driven back, surrounded by the skeletons just as there was a sudden boom of cannon fire, and Norrington, in the midst of a swordfight, turned to see what was going on, "What is happening out there?" he muttered to himself, before quickly blocking the attack of the skeleton he was fighting.

Meanwhile, on the deck of the Black Pearl, Gibbs, Anamaria, and Cotton had managed to seize the Black Pearl, while Elizabeth acted as its Captain, as they steered around the point, cannons blazing. Gillette looked over then, seeing the Black Pearl firing on the Dauntless, "They're on our side! Take heart, men!" he shouted, and the Royal Navy men stood their ground, continuing the fight.

However, Elizabeth was becoming panicked. She had checked the entire ship and there was no sign of Cassandra. She prayed that her little sister was safe, not knowing that said 'sister' was currently holding her own against pirates within the cove. Hermione, for her part, had managed to paralyze and stun quite a few pirates, but she was starting to get restless as they seemed to realise her trick and had moved into the moonlight where her magic seemed to be ineffective against their skeletal form. She glanced over at Will and Jack, whilst staying in the shadows, her wand trained on the pirates in case they moved into the shadows where she could attack them…

Her thoughts then turned to Elizabeth and she knew that if Jack had escaped the island she would like to think he wouldn't have left her there or that Elizabeth would have let him, which meant she had to be close by. She just hoped the older girl was safe…

_**A/N: Hello guys, I know it's been a while, but I've been pretty busy. I think I'm losing my touch, and I know this chapter was pretty much canon again without too much added in. I'm sorry about that, it's possibly a touch of writers block :o Anyway, let me know what you think and constructive criticism is always welcome to help me improve.**_


	12. The Demise of Captain Barbossa

_**Chapter 12 – The Demise of Captain Barbossa**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to PotC nor HP as they remain the properties of their respective owners. I do own the plot though and any additional characters I add. Also, familiar dialogue is from the PotC films which belongs to Disney and the director Gore Verbinski.**_

ooOoo

Hermione shouted as a pirate grabbed her around the waist, whilst trying to pry her wand from her hands. She elbowed him in the stomach, but this did very little to him. Jack, having heard her shout, looked around, noticing that she was struggling. He quickly leapt from the pile of treasure he was fighting a pirate on, and sprinted towards the pirate grappling Hermione, and tackled him to the ground. He stood up, offering his hand to Hermione.

Hermione looked up at him, taking his hand, and he pulled her up quickly, making her fall into him and she placed her hands on his chest to steady herself. For a moment he kept a firm grip on her waist and the two locked eyes, and Jack smirked and leaned down very close, "You will be the death of me, my dear," he whispered, his lips very close to her ear. With that, he took her hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it before winking and running off back into the fray.

Hermione shook her head, "Not likely," she muttered, looking at the pirate who had grabbed her. He was making his way back to his feet so she pointed her wand at him, effectively stunning him before he could repeat his attack on her. She looked around, noticing there were only two of the pirates left: Barbossa and Jacoby, the bulky pirate covered in tattoos. Jacoby had rounded on Will, whilst Barbossa was facing off against Jack. She stayed back, firing protective spells towards Jack and Will when given the chance, and she also moved around the fallen pirates, removing their weapons and piling them a safe distance away from them in case the spells wore off and they woke up.

Hermione paused after removing the last of the weapons, and turned back to the fight going on with the guys and the pirates, holding her wand at the ready in case she needed to use it. Though she decided to leave the guys to fight this out themselves rather than just use magic and be done with it, she could have stunned Jacoby, but Will was perfectly capable of handling him, and with Jack… it was something he needed to do, to fight it out with Barbossa and defeat him. If she used magic, Jack would probably kill her… hypothetically speaking.

She watched as Barbossa clashed swords with Jack, smirking at him, "Just so you know, Jack, I don't think you're that clever. I think you're a fool. A mortal fool," he revealed, causing Jack to chuckle.

"Remarkable how often those two traits coincide," he answered as he managed to drive Barbossa back.

The pirate Captain began laughing, "You can't beat me, Jack," he said matter-of-factly, and to prove his point he dropped his own sword, catching Jack's sword with both hands. Struggling for a moment, Jack could not free his sword, and Barbossa twisted it from his grip reversing it. Jack's eyes widened in surprise as Barbossa quickly drove the sword into his chest.

Hermione's eyes widened, "NO!" she screamed, falling to her knees in shock and horror.

Will, who was battling Jacoby, turned upon hearing Hermione and noticed Jack. He quickly smashed Jacoby in the jaw, crumpling the pirate, "Jack!" he shouted, quickly moving closer towards him.

Jack stared down at the sword jutting from his chest, his mouth open in surprise. His eyes found Hermione's tearful ones as she stared at him in shock, and he took a few steps back towards the Aztec gold, keeping eye contact with her, and as he stepped into the moonlight his flesh became skeletal, and Hermione gasped in astonishment. Jack smiled at her, "Well, isn't that interesting," he said, looking at Barbossa who was staring at him in irritation and surprise. Jack pulled the sword from between his ribcage, and pulled something shiny out of his pocket. He curled it along his fingers, and it rattled as it flipped across his bony fingers expertly: it was one of the Aztec coins, "They're so pretty, I just couldn't resist stealing one. It's a curse, I guess," Jack mocked, aiming to piss Barbossa off that little bit more.

Barbossa growled, grabbing up his sword, and rushed at Jack. Both men were cast in the moonlight now, two skeletons pitched in battle, "So what now, Jack Sparrow? Are we to be two immortals, locked in epic battle until the trumpets of Judgement Day?" Barbossa asked him.

Jack made a show of thinking about it before answering, "Or you could surrender."

From the ground, having come to terms with that fact that Jack was now cursed, Hermione glanced at Will, giving him a meaningful look. Will nodded, moving around behind Jack and Barbossa towards the Aztec chest, looking around the ground. Neither of the two noticed him, as Jack shoved Barbossa back out of the moonlight. Barbossa stalked the room, his full attention focused on Jack in case he tried any more tricks, "Or I could chain you to a cannonball and drop you in the deepest part of the ocean, where you can contemplate your folly forever," Barbossa suggested just as Will seemed to find what he was looking for. Barbossa charged at Jack, noticing a strange gleam in his eyes, and a pistol shot rang out, echoing throughout the cave. Hermione jumped at the sound, as Jack moved out of the moonlight towards her, standing in the flesh and blood again in front of her, holding his smoking pistol, which was still aimed at Barbossa. The pirate Captain began laughing, "Hah. Ten years you carried that pistol, and you end up wasting your shot," he said in surprise.

"He didn't waste it," came a voice from behind them, and Barbossa turned to find Will standing over the Aztec chest, holding his bloody sword in his hand, his left hand closed in a fist. Opening it revealed the medallion he had been looking for, knowing Jack had dropped it near the chest, blood covering the skeletal design. He dropped it into the chest with the others, revealing the deep gash in his palm.

Barbossa stared in shock, suddenly feeling strange he looked down at his chest as blood blossomed on his shirt around the bullet hole. It spread quickly, and he clutched his chest, his face registering pain for the first time in many years. Barbossa gasped for air, before falling heavily to the ground, dead.

Jack turned around, blowing smoke from the barrel of his pistol, before tossing it away. He helped Hermione to her feet, and she couldn't help, but grab him into a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck. He chuckled, "And to what do I owe this, love?" he asked, gently pulling away and lifting her chin so she would look at him. Tears glistened in her eyes, falling gently, and Jack wiped them away, "See, I'm not dead," he whispered, and she reached up, placing a hand to his heart as if to reassure herself. He chuckled, "It's beating," he added, and she smiled, letting go of him.

Will came over to them, wrapping a torn bit of cloth around his hand, "You okay, Jack?" he asked as he reached them.

Jack smirked, "Never been better," he answered.

"Good," Will answered, before turning to Hermione, "Are you well, Cassandra? You seem quiet," Will asked, worry colouring his tone.

"Yes, I'm fine, just tired," she smiled, storing her wand back in her boot.

"Might I ask what it is you did to these scoundrels? You were waving that stick about and not touching them, yet they fell…" Jack trailed off in his questioning, looking at her suspiciously.

Hermione sighed knowing she would need to reveal everything to them, and deep down she was scared. She hoped they wouldn't hate her, "I'll tell you later. I think we should get out of here for now," she promised and the two nodded in agreement, and they began heading out with Jack taking the lead.

ooOoo

Meanwhile, the Navy sailors were still fighting the pirates out on the beach. Murtogg fired his pistol at a pirate, expecting it not to do anything, but the pirate grabbed his chest screaming in pain, and crumpled to the ground. Mullroy ran through another pirate with his sword, and for a moment the battle halted as the pirates reacted to the sight in shock, quickly realising their peril. They set their weapons down and raised the hands in surrender.

Elizabeth watched in shock, looking towards the cove in panic hoping that Will was still alive as the Black Pearl came alongside the Dauntless, and Jack's crew swarmed across, overwhelming the pirates on the ship. The sailors on the beach watched, cheering at their victory.

Back in the cave, the three companions made their way through towards the exit. Will winced, stopping for a moment, grasping his hand in pain. Hermione grabbed his hand, unwrapping the makeshift bloodied bandage that covered his palm to reveal the gash that was pooling with blood. Jack moved closer to them, looking at the gash, "That looks nasty, mate," he stated as Hermione rolled her eyes.

"State the obvious why don't you," she muttered as Will leaned against the wall, his face pale and a fine sheen of sweat glittered on his forehead, "Will, this wound looks like it's become infected," she said worriedly, reaching up to move his hair from his face. Making a quick decision, she reached down to remove her wand from her boot, and pointed it at the gash. Will moved his hand away from her, and she looked at him, "Trust me," she pleaded, and hesitantly he let her take his hand. She muttered something under her breath and a blue light lit the tip of her wand, and the gash stopped bleeding, the sides of the gash knit together leaving a red scar in its place. She whispered another spell and the pain disappeared as well, and Will looked at his hand in astonishment, before using the ripped cloth to wipe away the blood.

He looked at the scar before looking at her, his eyes showing fear and curiosity, "How is it you have this power?" he asked her.

"I promise I'll explain once we are safe and out of here," she answered, still not ready to reveal all, but knowing there was no way she was going to get out of this.

Jack smiled, "I think it's a handy skill to have. Just be wary that witches are usually burned at the stake," he told her.

Hermione nodded, "I know," she answered, knowing full well that she might be killed for her trouble.

"So you are a witch, then?" Will asked her, and she nodded slowly, "How have I never noticed this?" he added as he looked deep into her eyes.

Hermione looked away, "As I said, I'll explain later, okay…" she trailed off, suddenly very uncomfortable with the two men currently scrutinising her.

"Alright, but I will be expecting answers," Will told her, not leaving room for argument and she nodded.

"As will I," Jack added.

"I'll tell both of you, and Elizabeth. I promise," she answered.

"Good," Will said, moving from the wall, but even though his hand was healed he had lost a lot of blood, and he leaned back again becoming dizzy, "I just need a minute," he muttered, closing his eyes and breathing deeply.

"Alright mate, but don't take too long," Jack told him, moving down the path to check around the corner.

Will watched him for a moment, before chuckling causing them both to look at him, "Well, you're the worst pirate I've ever heard of," he said before smiling at Jack, "You're a man who can be trusted, who can be counted on, and who can't betray his friends. What kind of pirate is that?" Will asked him curiously, the smile remaining on his face.

Jack smiled, looking at the ground for a moment, before looking at Hermione as if she was the one who spoke, "The worst," he admitted before continuing, "On the other hand, maybe I'm a man who can't pass up a chance for revenge against the black-hearted bastard who stole my ship and left me to die in the middle of the ocean - twice! - and who knows how to get what he wants. Now that's a great pirate," he finished as Hermione chuckled.

Jack looked down at his hand which was clasped shut in a fist, and this caused Will and Hermione to also look at his hand. He opened it to reveal a diamond, "Jack?" Hermione asked in confusion and wonder.

Jack looked at her, hesitating for a moment, before tossing the diamond into the abyss, "Who needs it when I'm going to hang," he muttered as Hermione and Will looked at each other in confusion. Jack turned to them, snapping out of his musings, "Well then, Mr Turner, if you are fit let's get out of here," he said, and with a nod of agreement, he continued to lead them through the cave to the beach.

ooOoo

It wasn't too long before the three companions emerged from the caves, meeting with Norrington on the beach, "Ah, it is good to see you are well, Miss Cassandra," he said as he nodded to her, "Mr Turner I see the company you keep has not improved," he said looking at Jack who smiled at him, "but we will tend to that in due course," he finished.

"You're all right!" a voice cried out, and the four turned to look at Elizabeth, the men rather awkwardly as they wondered which one of them she meant as she raced across the sand towards them, and straight to Hermione, wrapping her arms around her.

Norrington and Will coughed, both having the same thought process, but Jack was looking at Hermione with a frown as if trying to read her. He observed the pause and surprise that registered on her face before she hugged Elizabeth back as if this was not expected. Being of a curious nature, Jack had to wonder… wasn't these girls sisters? Shouldn't Cassandra be happy that her sister was alive and well? He vowed to find out more about the younger girl, and wondered briefly if it had anything to do with her power…

He snapped out of his musings as Elizabeth moved to hug Will tightly, "Miss Swann, are you wearing trousers? And how did you get off the island?" he questioned, holding her at arm's length and looking at her fully.

Elizabeth stared at him in shock, not believing that that was what he noticed. Indignant, she stepped away from him, crossing her arms, "Yes, I am wearing trousers, and as for how we got off the island – ah, that's a grand adventure, but now is not the time to talk about it," she said quickly before reaching a hand behind his neck, and decisively kissed him shocking the other three standing with them. After a moment, she pulled away, "There, and don't you dare tell me that wasn't a proper kiss!" she said, leaving no room for argument, but forgetting who she was talking to.

Hermione stared between the two in shock and bemusement, she wasn't entirely sure if this bothered her or not. Glancing at Jack, she caught his eye and he shrugged. Hermione looked away as Will began speaking, "Elizabeth, I think it doesn't matter that we are of a different class –" he started, but was cut off.

"It doesn't!" Elizabeth stated.

"—but that was not a proper kiss," he finished as if she hadn't said anything and pure consternation settled on her face, and before she could argue, Will added, "This is a proper kiss," and he swept her into his arms, leaning her back, kissing her long and well.

Hermione turned, walking away towards the shore, and stood at the water's edge. She knew she was affected by this turn of events, and believed she may have actually developed feelings for Will. She smiled slightly as she looked at Jack who placed a hand on Norrington's shoulder, "Tough luck. I was rooting for you," he said, before moving away from him. He walked over to stand next to Hermione who had turned back to look at the water, "Are you okay?" he asked her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Yes I'm fine, just needed some breathing space," she answered, smiling up at him.

Jack frowned, "Does it bother you?"

Hermione looked at him, trying to decide whether it did or not. She wasn't sure how she felt, and she was not as hurt or disappointed as she felt she should be. Glancing over to where Will and Elizabeth were still locked in their embrace, she realised that she was happy for them, and smiled. She looked back at Jack who was watching her closely and she smiled, "Not overly, no," she answered.

Jack smiled, "That's 'cause I'm here, love," he said in as charming a voice as he could.

Hermione laughed, "Oh? And what does that mean, exactly?" she asked playfully.

Jack chuckled, "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow," he answered as if this was obvious, before continuing, "No woman… or man…" he shuddered, "can resist my charms," he told her.

Hermione laughed, "I'm sure they all fall at your feet," she said, and he nodded vigorously in agreement, "Well Captain Sparrow, I will not fall for your charms," she added, smiling at him.

Jack laughed, "We'll see," he said before taking her arm, "Come on, let's get out of here," he said, and she let him lead her towards the Black Pearl.

ooOoo

A few weeks had passed by since the Black Pearl and the Dauntless had sailed back to Port Royal. As promised, Hermione had explained everything to Will and Jack about what she was, and where she had come from. Both had found it very hard to believe, and Will had acted very distant around her for the first week, but he had eventually come to terms with it, whilst Jack had just acted the same. She had made them both promise to continue to refer to her as Cassandra though, as she had yet to tell Elizabeth, and all three of them had agreed that it was probably for the best that she didn't know about it just yet.

During the third week of their return found them up in the courtyard of Fort Charles, where a trial was underway, and in the middle of it was Will as the defendant, his face stoic and staring forward, standing straight and unmoving. Around him were members of the Royal Navy, standing before a group of witnesses from the town. Norrington stood from his chair, looking at Will with no emotion as he spoke, "Though I do say so with regret, the law is clear. The penalty for piracy is death by hanging," he announced, glancing at Elizabeth for moment, his expression apologetic before turning to face the front again.

Elizabeth squeezed the hand of her father, Swann. She let go when he stood, noticing quickly that the seat next to him was vacant and briefly wondered where Cassandra had disappeared to now. Glancing at her father's slightly irritated expression, he too had realised his youngest was absent. He, however, continued as if this was not the case, and spoke directly to Norrington, "By your leave, I wish to speak on behalf of the boy," he said, glancing at Elizabeth who smiled thankfully, and then looked back at Norrington who nodded, "It is clear that these deeds were performed out of a sincere desire to do good, at great personal risk. It seems to me, that in rare occasion where the right course is committing an act of piracy, then an act of piracy is the right course!" he announced, receiving cheers of approval from the witnesses present, before continuing, "So in my capacity as Governor, I intend to grant a pardon to–" he was cut off as Gillette ran in, disrupting the trial.

"Sir!" he shouted, causing all eyes to turn to him from where he was standing at the top of the stairway to the cells, "Jack and his crew have escaped!" he shouted to gasps from the crowd, "There was no damage to the cell… they must have been set free," he revealed to more gasps.

Will and Elizabeth exchanged looks that clearly said, 'It wasn't me!' before they both smiled and looked at the vacant seat in which Cassandra should have been sitting in.

Swann noticed something in his peripheral vision on the parapet, and pointed, "The Black Pearl!" he shouted as people rushed to the parapet. Sure enough below in the bay were the distinctive black sails of the Pearl. The ship cut through the waters very close to point where the gallows of the pirates were. Suddenly Jack appeared on the point, swinging off the empty gallows, across and down onto the ships rigging as it passed.

"Sir! Shall I break out the cannons?" Gillette asked, awaiting orders.

Norrington sighed, leaning against the wall tiredly, "I don't think that will be necessary," he answered as he raised his hand, twirling a key on his finger before continuing, "A day's head start. That's all he gets," he finished as Will and Elizabeth smiled knowingly, and Swann followed their glance out toward the Pearl.

On the Black Pearl, Jack monkeyed down the rigging, and walked casually towards Anamaria who was at the wheel, "Captain Sparrow, the Black Pearl is yours!" she said with a smile as she moved aside to let him take command.

Jack smiled as he ran his hands lovingly along the rail, and then took the wheel. It felt good, right, in his hands. For a moment he let himself enjoy the feeling of being Captain of the Black Pearl again before looking at the smiling faces of his crew and he quickly shifted to 'Captain' mode, "Anamaria, trim the mainsail!" he ordered.

"Aye, aye, sir!" she answered, moving to do as she was ordered.

"Mr Gibbs, organise a cleaning detail – you and Cotton. I want every inch of the Pearl spic-and-span and ship-shape!" he ordered and Gibbs actually stomped the deck, executing a salute. Jack stood at the wheel, smiling as it registered to him fully that he had his ship back, and all was right with the world. He looked back towards the Gallows, seeing a prone figure in a flowing emerald and black lace dress, her long curly tendrils blowing in the wind, a small smile on her face as she twirled her wand between her fingers, and he couldn't help the grin that crossed his face. Hermione saluted him, and he returned it before turning away, unconsciously beginning to hum. He turned the wheel to the right slightly, and began to sing, "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me…" he stopped as he realised what he was doing, the smile widening on his face, "Drink up me hearties, yo ho!" he sang out as he steered the Black Pearl for uncharted waters.

_**A/N: So that is the first part down! Hope you all enjoyed this, think I may have got a little bit of my flare back for this chapter which is a good sign. Think I just needed to get a little motivated. Anyway, please let me know how I fared, I love hearing from you guys!**_


	13. Three Sheets to the Wind

_**Chapter 13 - Three Sheets to the Wind**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to PotC nor HP as they remain the properties of their respective owners. I do own the plot though and any additional characters I add. Also, familiar dialogue is from the PotC films which belongs to Disney and the director Gore Verbinski.**_

ooOoo

Hermione stood quietly on the parapet, watching the waves thrash the shore and harbour in rolling swells. The wind whipped through her curly locks, throwing them over her left shoulder angrily. She looked up as thunder rumbled throughout the sky, but then her eyes moved back out towards the sea as if she was waiting for something to happen.

She sighed before looking towards another wall, seeing Elizabeth sitting in the rain holding a white bouquet of orchids. She felt that niggling jealous feeling in the pit of her stomach at the thought of her marrying Will, but then the feeling would subside, and she would remember that she doesn't even belong in that time. This thought lead to bigger things, and she wondered about Harry and Ron. Had Ron woken up from his coma to find her gone? Had Harry gone on a rampage searching for her? Had time stood still and for them only seconds would have passed, but for her it had been months? She shook her head and pulled out her wand, looking at the long smooth stick which held such power, yet she felt powerless to use.

She wondered if she would even feel right in her time if she went back… or would she not even remember being in this time? It was then she remembered that Dumbledore had pointed out the book to her… did that mean he knew this would happen? Voldemort was defeated so there was no way her coming to the past would have affected that, so why? Why had she not questioned it before? Even when she had spilled all to Jack and Will, these thoughts had never occurred to her at all.

She looked back up as lightning lit the sky in a brief flash, and she recalled the conversation the two of them had made her have. It was amusing now that she thought about it, the three of them plopped down at a table in the hold of the Dauntless… well, she and Will were sitting at a table whilst Jack was shackled and sitting cross-legged on the floor of his cell.

_**Three months earlier…**_

"You promised," Will stated as he sat down at a table in the dark, dingy part of the hold where the prisoners were kept.

"I know," Hermione answered, looking in on Jack who was lying on the ground with his ankles crossed, his shackled hands resting behind his head. If she wasn't so nervous about what she was about to reveal, she might have laughed at the reminder of the last cell she had seen him lying in.

"Well, lass, that would usually be your cue to tell us your little secret," Jack stated, grinning at her.

Hermione nodded, wondering where to start, "I… I don't really know how to tell you both," she whispered, shaking her head.

Will clicked his tongue, causing her to look up at him, "Why don't you just start from the beginning," he suggested.

"The beginning…?" she trailed off in her own question, asking herself more than her two companions. For a moment she was silent, and the two men began thinking she wasn't going to tell them. Jack sat up, about to say as much, when she began speaking, "I'm not who you think I am," she whispered, and they had to strain to hear her.

Will frowned, "What do you mean?" he asked, not entirely sure where she was going with this.

Hermione looked at him, "I… I am not Cassandra Swann…" she trailed off as she looked at the array of emotions flit across Will's face, while Jack looked between the two of them with curiosity.

Eventually, Will's expression settled on controlled anger as he looked away from her, "I have to admit I was slightly suspicious when you first appeared. So you are an intruder then?" he asked her, trying to keep his anger in check.

"I didn't do this on purpose…" she paused, sighing as she thought about her next words, knowing she would need to be careful if she wanted them to at least accept what she was telling them, "When I ended up in Port Royal, it was completely unexpected. Someone found me at the peer, and thinking I was the Governor's daughter, they took me to the mansion. I tried to explain, but Swann… he thought I had amnesia, and before I knew it, everyone thought the same thing… even the doctors," she trailed off, shaking her head. She glanced between the two men, gaging their reactions.

Will looked confused, but she could also tell he was beginning to piece the puzzle together, whereas she couldn't even read Jack's expression. His face was blank as he stared at her, no emotion giving him away as to how he felt about this new information. Will was the one to break the tense silence which had enveloped them, "So, where are you from? Who are you exactly? Why are you here?" the questions rolled off his tongue in quick succession.

Hermione sighed, "This is where my explanation becomes complicated, so before I continue I know that neither of you will believe me, but I promise you that what I am going to tell you is no word of a lie," she told them, and they nodded. Will already had a disbelieving look on his face, and she hadn't even said anything yet. This hurt her slightly, but she could understand. She didn't look at Jack, expecting to see that same blank expression on his face that she found difficult to take in.

After a few minutes where Hermione mused to herself about the two men, Jack cleared his throat causing her to look at him, "Well?" he said, reminding her that she still needed to explain herself.

She nodded slowly, "Sorry, I was… never mind," she trailed off, before looking at them both and continuing, "My real name is Hermione Granger; I am… I'm not from… I mean…" she swallowed, trying to say the words she was dreading. Taking a deep breath, she tried again, "I'm from the future…" she whispered, not looking at either of them. When neither of them said anything, she continued on, refusing to meet their eyes, "I was in school – a school for wizards and witches – and I was directed to a diary… a diary which I think belonged to you, Jack," she paused as she looked at him, his expression hadn't changed at all, and this caused her throat to constrict painfully, and she tried to continue, "This book, after I read some of it, had a spell on it which transported me into the past… to this time… and the rest you know," she finished, her head dropping to her chest as the realised how much she sounded like a complete nutter.

The silence continued on, draping her like a thick blanket, and eventually she looked up with tears in her eyes. Looking between them as they stared at her with blank expressions, she pleaded for at least one of them to say something. Jack seemed to pick up on this, and he chuckled causing them to look at him, "Well, that explains a lot, I assume," he said, smirking lightly and Hermione smiled, feeling relieved that he didn't seem to hate her.

Will, on the other hand, turned back to her with a stony expression, "Why are you here? And where is Cassandra?" he asked her, his tone angry again.

She sighed, "I don't know the answer to either of those questions. It was never explained to me, and I don't even know who Cassandra is… For all I know, she could be in the future going through the same thing as me…" she answered.

Will nodded, realising she was being sincere, "I need to process this…" he muttered as he stood and stormed out of the hold.

Hermione felt the tears fall then, and the realisation that Will may possibly hate her now hit home. She had really come to like and care about him, and now she felt like she had no one in this time who cared about her as her real self; they cared about an intruder portraying the life of someone she had never even met. She raised a hand, covering her eyes as more tears fell, and she completely forgot Jack was still in the room, watching her silently with a frown on his brow.

Eventually, she stopped crying, and a voice from the cell startled her, and she looked at Jack suddenly remembering he was there, "He will come around, you'll see," he told her, his tone promising.

Hermione nodded, giving him a small smile. She hoped so, as she felt she had no one she could rely on now except Will. Though as she looked at Jack, she realised that was not entirely true as he smiled at her, and she couldn't help but smile back.

ooOoo

Hermione sighed; three months had passed by since she told them who she really was, and she tightened the hold she had on her wand, before placing it back up into the sleeve of her dress. She really wished Harry and Ron were here with her, it would have made things a lot easier for everyone. She had contemplated going after Jack for a few days before finally coming to the conclusion that that would have been a pointless endeavour. She didn't even know where he was headed, and she kicked herself for not accepting his offer to go with him when she had freed him from the cells.

She glanced back over at Elizabeth who was still sitting alone, at a distance, and wondered where the hell Will was considering the wedding was supposed to be starting soon. The sound of marching footsteps drew her attention towards the main doors leading to the parapet, and suddenly the door was kicked in by soldiers. Elizabeth looked over her shoulder in surprise, before dropping her bouquet, and running towards the red coats upon realising they had Will manacled, "Will…!" she said, looking at him, "Why is this happening?" she asked him.

Will smiled, "I don't know. You look beautiful," he said, looking her over.

Elizabeth smiled, a blush appearing on her cheeks, but it was Hermione who spoke, "I think it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding."

"Elizabeth! Cassandra! Will!" came a voice from the door, and the soldiers crossed their long axes to bar the Governor from entering.

Lord Cutler Beckett, in white hair and curls, came to stand with Mercer as he looked at the Governor, "Governor Weatherby Swann, it's been too long," he commented, as the Governor glared at him.

"His Lord now… actually," Mercer put in, looking at Beckett.

Beckett laughed bitterly, "In fact, I _do_. Mister Mercer!" he said, before looking down at the papers Mercer handed him, "The warrant for the arrest of one William Turner," he announced as he looked at the parchment and frowned, "Oh, I see. That's annoying. My mistake. Arrest her," he ordered, nodding towards Elizabeth.

Elizabeth frowned as the soldiers moved to put her in manacles, "On what charges?" she demanded.

Hermione pulled her wand back out from her sleeve, getting ready to defend them if need be, and held it down by her side. Will took a step forward, "No!"

Mercer pulled another two documents out from the file, and handed them to Beckett with a craggy face, before reaching up and straightening his ponytail. Beckett looked at the documents, a smile appearing on his face, "Ah-ha! Here's the one for William Turner, and I have another one for a Mister James Norrington. Is he present?" he asked them as he looked around at the group.

Hermione growled, "What are they charged with?" she asked angrily, moving to stand by Elizabeth.

Beckett looked at her as if he was only just registering she was there, "Ah, Miss Cassandra Swann is it? I believe you were also involved in this debacle, though I do not believe we have a warrant for your arrest. You are lucky, girl, but fear not I will have that fixed," he told her, nodding to Mercer who took out a quill and wrote something down on a spare bit of parchment. Beckett then turned back to her, "However, I don't believe that's the answer to the question I asked," he added, looking at them expectantly, "Where is James Norrington?" he asked again.

Will growled angrily, "Lord Beckett! In the category of questions _not_ answered…" he trailed off as Elizabeth continued with his statement.

"We are under the jurisdiction of the King's Governor of Port Royal, and you will tell us what we are charged with," she said, raising herself to her full height.

Beckett smiled, "A crime for which the punishment, regrettably, is _also_ death. Perhaps you remember a certain pirate named Jack Sparrow?" he asked them.

"_Captain_ Jack Sparrow," Hermione answered automatically, before adding, "Yes we know of him."

Beckett chuckled gleefully as if he had just caught them out, "Captain Jack Sparrow. Yes, I thought you might," he told them, before holding up the three documents with the details of their arrest.

ooOoo

Not so very far away from Port Royal, anchored by a small island which held a Turkish prison, was a beautiful ship with black sails. Gibbs walked the deck alone, looking up at the clear night sky towards the rigging ropes and blocks, as he drank from a bottle and sang quietly to himself, "Fifteen men on a dead man's chest. Yo ho ho, and a _bottle_ of rum. Drink and the devil had done for the rest. Yo ho ho, and a _bottle_ of rum. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" he sang. Gibbs smiled drunkenly, and he paused mid swig as a bell tolled from the island. He looked up to see a flock of crows flying in the foggy night sky, before turning his attention back to the small island as he waited.

ooOoo

The crows flew across the coastal island as the bells continued to toll, echoing throughout the night eerily. The pinnacle island was connected to the mainland by a thin bridge lit by torches which glowed in the darkness. Cages of all shapes and sizes lined the bridge, and inside them were men that had been captured by the locals of the island. They all looked up solemnly as more prisoners were marched across the bridge to be put in another of the cages.

One of the male prisoners had bloody legs, having taken a beaten by the guards when he tried to escape. He was muttering curses as they dragged him across the bridge. A crow reflected in the eye of one of the male prisoners in the cage as he watched the bloodied man. The crow alighted atop the cage, before looking at the man, tilting its head lightly. It suddenly attacked him, pecking his eye out causing him to scream.

The prisoner who was being dragged by the guards, looked around just as he was taken through a hatch-like door in the ground, and his scream split the night just before the door closed, drowning out the sounds.

Down on the rocky shoreline, lit with torches, men tossed caskets into the sea and they floated away from the island as vertical streaks in the distant clouds appeared in the sky. A crow landed on one of the caskets, and began pecking at the top. A sudden gun blast split the silence from inside the casket, blowing the crow away along with a lot of wood. The hand holding the flintlock pistol emerged from the hole in the casket, panning it around before the figure broke through the top of the casket, putting his hat on.

For a moment he sat silently, looking back towards the island, and his eyes found the cages lining the bridge and he shuddered as he thought of the screams from the prisoners. He saluted them, before looking down at the skeleton he had shared the casket with and cringed slightly, "Sorry, mate," he muttered as he broke the skeleton's leg off. He looked back at the skull, "Mind if we take a little side trip?" he asked it, and paused as if waiting for an answer. He nodded, "I didn't think so," he muttered as he used the skeleton's leg as an oar, and rowed towards the full moon and the black ship which was waiting in the distance to the right of the moon.

It didn't take him long to arrive at the ship in his coffin rowboat, and he began climbing up the ladder. Gibbs held out his hand to help Jack aboard, and Jack looked at his hand before placing the skeleton leg in his hand, and Gibbs pulled him up, letting the leg go in disgust straight after.

Cotton moved forward, draping Jack's coat around his shoulders as Gibbs looked at him speculatively, "Not _quite_ according to plan?" he asked him.

Jack shook his head, "Complications arose, ensued, were overcome," he answered, as he looked at the sky for a moment.

Gibbs nodded, "You got what you went in for, then?" he asked him quietly.

"Mm-hmm!" Jack answered distractedly, his thoughts elsewhere.

"Captain, I think the crew, meaning me as well, were expecting something a bit more... _shiny_. What with the Isla de Muerta going all pear shaped, reclaimed by the sea, and the treasure with it," Gibbs explained, hoping not to annoy Jack. The Captain had not entirely been himself since they left Port Royal.

"And the Royal Navy chasing us all around the Atlantic," Leech added.

"And the hurricane! Aye!" Marty added, gesturing to some damages on the ship.

"Aye. Aye," the crew agreed.

Gibbs looked around at them all, before turning back to Jack, "All in all, it's seems some time since we did a speck of honest pirating," he explained as he and the rest of the crew waited in anticipation.

Jack frowned, looking at his crew thoughtfully before looking back at Gibbs, "Shiny?"

He nodded, "Aye, shiny."

He realised he had not been himself since he had escaped from Port Royal. If he was to be honest with himself, he was still quite annoyed that Hermione had turned down his offer. He had wanted to see more of what she could do, and he was let down that she would rather live out her days as someone who she wasn't, than live a life of adventure. Apparently, his crew had also noticed his mood had changed since then as well. Jack looked at his crew, "Is that how you're all feeling, then? Perhaps dear old Jack is not serving your best interests as Captain?" he asked them, looking at them all in turn.

"Awk! Walk the plank!" Cotton's parrot squawked, and Jack grabbed his pistol, pointing it at the bird angrily.

"What did the bird say?" he asked threateningly.

Leech reached forward, placing his hand on top of the pistol and forced Jack to lower it, "Do not blame the bird. Show us what is on that piece of cloth there," he suggested.

Jack raised the piece of cloth in his hand causing the monkey to snarl. It climbed down, seized the cloth and began scampering off with it. Jack growled as he attempted to shoot the monkey with his pistol, but it misfired, and the monkey screeched at him. Jack grabbed a pistol from another of his crewmen and blasted the monkey as it scampered onto the deck. The monkey screeched again, not harmed by the shot, but it did drop the cloth and scurried into the rigging.

Gibbs chuckled, "Know that don't do no good," he muttered as he looked sideways at Jack.

Jack sighed, "It does me," he muttered.

Marty picked up the cloth that the monkey dropped, and looked at it. His eyes widened in wonder, "It's a key!" he shouted, handing the cloth back to Jack.

Jack smirked, looking at him in glee, "No! Much more better. It is a _drawing_ of a key," he told them, speaking as if they were children. Jack held up the cloth, and the crew moved forward to have a closer look. Among the crew, Jack noticed three members who he didn't recognise. There was a Chinese man, a black man with a black beard, and a white bearded man with a large black hat. He frowned at them, before shrugging and looking back at the cloth. He looked around at his crew, "Gentlemen, what do keys do?" he asked them, feeling almost like he was having a show-and-tell moment.

Leech screwed up his face as he thought, "Keys... unlock... _things_?" he answered receiving a nod from Jack.

Gibbs gestured to the drawing, "And whatever this key unlocks, _inside_ there's something valuable. So, we're setting out to find whatever this key unlocks!" he said, looking at Jack for confirmation.

Jack frowned, shaking his head, "No! If we don't have the key, we can't open whatever it is we don't have that it unlocks. So what purpose would be served in finding whatever needs be unlocked, which we don't have, without first having found the key what unlocks it?" he explained as his crew stared back at him in confusion as they tried to make sense of his logic.

Gibbs was the first to answer having known Jack for long enough to know how his mind works, "So, we're going after this key!" he answered to which Jack rolled his eyes.

"You're not making any sense at all," he said, shaking his head as Gibbs stared at him in confusion. Jack ignored him and addressed the crew, "Any more questions?"

"So, do we have a heading?" Marty asked curiously.

Jack's eyes widened, "Hah! A heading," he said, laughing nervously before pointing in random directions, "Set sail in a... mmm... a general... in _that_ way… direction," he answered, pointing back towards Port Royal.

"Captain… Port Royal is in that direction," Gibbs said in confusion.

Jack nodded vigorously, "Come on, snap to and make sail, you know how this works," he ordered them.

Marty and Gibbs stood alone together by the railing after the crew had set sail back towards Port Royal, "Have you noticed lately..., the captain seems to be actin' a bit strange…-er," Marty said as he looked at Jack from where he was standing at the wheel, muttering things under his breath.

Gibbs nodded, glancing towards him also, wondering what had gotten in to him, "Settin' sail without knowing his own headin'? Somethin's got Jack vexed. Mark my words, what bodes ill for Jack Sparrow bodes ill for us all," he warned Marty who nodded.

As if in answer to Gibbs' earlier statement, the Black Pearl sailed straight in to a thunderstorm later that night, the worst one she had been put through yet.

**A/N: Well guys its been 7 months. Sorry I haven't been updating lately, been a busy bee with work and other stuff. Thought I'd update just now, but I know this isn't my best writing, but I'll get back in to it. Haven't been doing any writing for months now, so need to exercise my muse xD Next chapter will hopefully be better, but let me know what you thought anyway :)**


	14. Chaos is a Butterfly, Order is a Fallacy

_**Chapter 14 - **__**Chaos is a Butterfly, Order is a Fallacy**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to PotC nor HP as they remain the properties of their respective owners. I do own the plot though and any additional characters I add. Also, familiar dialogue is from the PotC films which belongs to Disney and the director Gore Verbinski.**_

_**A/N: Hey guys, I am sorry I have not been on here in so long. I have had no access to the internet or a computer for a while which has been rather… boring. I am back now though, and I will try really hard to get this story finished as soon as possible.**_

oOoOoOo

Hermione watched as Will was dragged through a corridor, passing by a painter who was painting a detail on a mural of a world map. She made to get her wand out from the sleeve of her dress, but a tiny shake from Will's head stopped her. Feeling helpless, Hermione left the hallway, walking out onto the parapet. Looking out at the ocean, she really did wish she had followed Jack. A life on the sea would have been better than this.

She hated this feeling, knowing there was nothing she could do to stop the world around her from falling apart. All because they broke Jack out of jail… again. Her mind strayed back to Will, wondering what Beckett could possibly want with him.

oOoOoOo

The guard brought Will into Beckett's office, the chains of his manacles clanking. Stopping, the guard saluted Beckett, "Lord Beckett, the prisoner as ordered, sir," he announced.

Beckett turned round, glancing down at the manacles holding Will prisoner, "Those won't be necessary," he said to the guard. The guard nodded, moving over to Will, and removed the manacles. Will rubbed his painful wrists, the manacles had been tight. Beckett nodded to the guard again and, giving him a salute, he left the room. Walking over to the liquor cabinet, he took out a bottle of whisky, pouring two glasses, and handed one to Will who looked at it suspiciously. Beckett chuckled, "I haven't poisoned it, you saw me pour it."

Will swirled the brown liquid in the glass, "Can never be too sure," he answered, taking a sip, before asking, "So I imagine this is not a meeting for a chat, so what do you want?"

Beckett took a sip of his whisky, before answering, "The East India Trading Company has need of your services. We wish for you to act as our agent in a business transaction with our mutual friend: Captain Sparrow."

Smirking, Will said quietly, "More acquaintance than friend. How do you know him?"

"We've had dealings in the past, and we've each left our mark… on the other," he answered, leaving Will to ponder that information.

Will frowned, looking down at his glass of whisky before asking, "What mark did he leave on you?"

Beckett was silent for a moment, staring out the window. He looked back at Will, "By your efforts Jack Sparrow was set free," he said, ignoring Will's question, "I would like you to go to him, and recover a certain property in his possession." he told him, leaving no room for argument.

"Recover? At the point of a sword?" he asked, finding this to be a suicide mission in the making.

Beckett leaned forward, "_Bargain_!" he said slowly, as if he was speaking to a child. Will was taken back, watching as Beckett walked over to a wooden box on a table in the corner, opening the lid. He pulled out, he turned back to Will, waving them in the air, "Letters of the Marque. You will offer what amounts to a full pardon. Jack will be free, a privateer in the employ of England," he told him, thinking this was a fantastic offer.

Will laughed bitterly, "Somehow I doubt Jack will consider employment the same as being free. I do not even think he would be able to hold down a job. It just doesn't have the same excitement that pillaging and plundering has," he told him.

Beckett nodded, his expression thoughtful, "Freedom. Jack Sparrow is a dying breed. The world is shrinking, the blank pages of the map filled in. Jack must find his place in the new world or perish. Not unlike you, Mister Turner. You and your fiancée face the hangman's noose," he advised, looking at him.

Will's expression darkened at his words, "So you get both Jack _and_ the Black Pearl," he stated more than asked.

Beckett frowned in confusion, "The Black Pearl?"

"The property you want that he possesses."

Beckett laughed at this, "A ship? Hardly!" he paused, calming his laughter, before continuing, "The item in question is considerably smaller and far more valuable. Something Sparrow keeps on his person at all times. A compass," he revealed, and Will's eyes widened slightly in recognition and confusion as to why they would want a useless compass. Beckett smiled at his expression, "Ah, you know it. Bring back that Compass, or there's no deal," he told him.

Will looked down at the glass in his hand. Could he betray Jack like that? Lifting the glass to his lips, he knocked the rest of the whisky back, before nodding to Beckett who smirked.

oOoOoOo

Jack tilted his head from where he was sitting in a chair, leaning down over a map on the table, a set of callipers in his left hand. His 'P' brand mark could be seen on his right arm from this point of view. An hourglass in the background was filtering sand into the bottom as Jack began tapping his compass.

He sighed, picking up his bottle of rum from the table. It felt too light for his liking so he looked into the bottle, turning it upside-down, and only a few drops spilled out, "Why is the rum always gone?" he asked to no one. Rising to his feet, he staggered against the table, a smile flitting onto his face, "Oh! _That's_ why!" he said in amusement, answering his own question.

Staggering over to the world globe, he plucked his hat off the top of it, before making his way into the crews cabin. He picked up a lantern, lighting it before walking past the crew who were sleeping on hammocks. Some of them were snoring, Cotton among them. Jack stopped next to his hammock, before looking around at them all, "As you were, gents," he muttered, before moving on and downstairs into the hold. An animal bleated as Jack unlocked the door, and went in.

He looked around, grimacing at the eerie filter feeder creatures festooning a beam of wood. Looking around further, swinging the lantern around, he finally spotted a rack of bottles stored sideways like in a wine rack, "Ah!" he said happily as he walked over, pulling one from the rack. He turned it upside-down, watching sadly as sand poured out.

"Jack," came a voice from behind him, making Jack drop the bottle in fright. The bottle smashed to the floor, the glass shards flying out in all directions.

Jack turned to see who had spoken, "Its rude to startle a man holding ru-" he trailed off upon noticing the lone figure hiding in the shadows. Walking over, he recognised who it was, "Bootstrap? Bill Turner?" he asked, as if trying to convince himself it was the same man. Bootstrap looked up from where he was sitting on a barrel, crabs were scuttling across his face. Jack looked around in confusion, "Is this a dream?" he asked him.

"No, lad," Bootstrap answered, looking at him in amusement.

Jack nodded, "I thought not. If it were, there'd be rum." Bootstrap smiled crookedly, showing his rotting teeth. He reached into his jacket which was covered in seaweed, pulling out a bottle of rum, handing it to Jack. Excitedly, Jack pried the bottle from Bootstrap's hand with a crackling sound. He smiled at Bootstrap, "I had some help retrieving the Pearl, by the way," he told him, as if answering an unasked question. He tapped the lip of the bottle with his fingers, before blowing across the top of the bottle, before continuing, "Your son," he advised him, taking a drink from the bottle of rum. Changing the subject he asked, "So to what do I owe the pleasure of your carbuncle?" he asked, watching as a myriad of expressions flitted across Bootstrap's face, "Who?" he asked, before continuing his one-sided conversation, "Ah, so it's you, then? He shanghaied you into service, eh?"

A small hermit crab was scuttling by Bootstrap, on top of the barrel where he was sitting. Bootstrap grabbed the hermit crab, popping it into his mouth, crunching on it. Jack watched in revulsion, looking as though he was about to throw up. Jack looked at the bottle of rum, before handing it back to Bootstrap. Bootstrap finally spoke then, having not said anything since he said Jack's name, "It's funny what a man will do to forestall his final judgement," as he said this he gave Jack a meaningful look.

Jack smiled, gulping and began walking off, but Bootstrap stood up at the same time, intercepting him, and blocking his exit. Jack gulped again, "Technic-" he cut himself short as Bootstrap raised his eyebrows, "Yes, but the Flying Dutchman already _has_ a captain, so there's re-" he trailed off again as Bootstrap tilted his head, so he sighed, and asked, "Any idea when Jones might release said terrible beastie?"

Bootstrap looked down at Jack's hand, nodding his head slowly. Jack's eyes widened, and he looked down at the palm of his left hand in terror where a black spot was boiling into view. Opening his mouth to speak, panic-stricken, and realised Bootstrap had disappeared.

"That's not good," Jack said, terror filling his voice as he turned tail, running out of the hold, through the crews cabin, and up onto the deck of the Black Pearl. Jack continued running across the wooden deck which had a shallow covering of water, "On deck all hands! Make fast the bunt gasket! On deck! Scurry! Scurry-on! Marty, I want movement! _I want movement!_" he shouted, startling the crew who were watching him in confusion.

"Lift the skin up!" Gibbs ordered the crew, and they starting making ready to move.

"All on deck! Run! And keep running! Run as if the devil himself and itself is upon us!" Jack ordered, looking out to sea, his eyes alight in fear.

Gibbs turned to him, "Do we have a heading?" he asked him.

Jack nodded quickly, "Ah! Ooh! Run! Land," he said, rising from where he had ducked behind the base of the mast.

Gibbs frowned at him, "Which port?" he asked, wondering what had got Jack in a frenzy.

Jack shook his head, "Didn't say port. I said land. Any land. Preferably the one Cassandra is on… she'll protect me," he told him, nodding quickly.

"Protect you?" Gibbs asked, his frown deepening, before continuing, "May I remind you if you return to Port Royal you're bound to be hanged, drawn, and quartered… not necessarily in that order?"

Jack looked at the mast, contemplating his words, "True, just land then… any land. Away from water," he answered. Jack lowered his head, wishing now more than ever that Cassandra had taken him up on his offer. Then she'd be on the ship…, protecting him. He was pulled harshly out of his musings by the skeleton monkey swinging down from the mast, grabbing Jack's hat. Jack watched as the monkey snarled at him s he snarled back, imitating it. He reached out to grab the monkey, but it threw his hat overboard.

"Jack's hat! Bring 'er about!" Gibbs shouted, sounding almost panicked thinking Jack would murder him if his hat was lost.

Jack stopped him, "No, no! Leave it! Run!" he told him, the panic in demeanour was starting to worry Gibbs.

Gibbs turned back to the crew, "Back to your stations! The lot o' ya!" he ordered as the crew went back to their posts in bewilderment. They would think Jack had gone mad, if they didn't know he was already mad. Jack moved away from the mast quickly, ducking into the shadow of some steps, standing stiffly between two lighted windows. Gibbs followed him, stopping as he reached the stairs, "Jack?" he said, looking at the stricken captain in confusion.

"Shhh!"

"For the love of mother and child, Jack, what's coming after us?" Gibbs asked him.

Jack paused, looking out at the sea through the gap in the stairs before looking back at Gibbs, "Nothing," he answered, but Gibbs was not convinced.

oOoOoOo

Will, Hermione, and the Governor rapidly descended the stone steps into the prison. The guard at the bottom of the steps held out his arm to stop them, holding a long gun with a bayonet on the end, "Here now. He can't be here. Mister Swann-" he cut off, falling on the ground, and Hermione quickly put her wand back in her sleeve.

Governor Swann and Will knelt down to check him, "He's asleep!" Governor Swann pronounced in confusion.

"Maybe he was just really tired?" Hermione answered as innocently as she could, but she noticed Will tilt his head and she winked at him. He couldn't help but smile when he realised she had been the one to put him to sleep.

"In any case, he's alive. Let's get to Elizabeth," Will said, leading the other two towards the cells at the back of the room.

"Will! Cassandra! Father!" Elizabeth cried as she saw them.

"Elizabeth!" Will said, falling to the ground at her cell, reaching through the bars to take her hands.

"Are you well, Elizabeth?" Governor Swann asked her as he looked at her with a critical eye.

"As well as can be expected, but I'll be fine," Elizabeth answered, before looking over to where Hermione was keeping watch, "Cassandra?" she called, causing the younger girl to look at her.

Hermione was conflicted. Earlier in the day, after his release, Will had forced her to sit with Governor Swann and explain who she was. Needless to say, Governor Swann had been fuming, and then he was worried about Cassandra, and it ended up being a tearful talk which resulted in Governor Swann hugging and accepting her, thankfully. He had said he wouldn't report her.

Governor Swann opened his mouth, "Elizabeth, this girl is not your sister," he advised her as Hermione felt herself shrinking as Elizabeth's confused eyes turned on her.

"Who are you?" she asked in a more gentle tone than Hermione had been expecting.

Hermione raised her head, tears welling in her eyes, "I'm sorry," she said quietly, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart before continuing, "My name is Hermione Granger…" she trailed off, and made to continue, but a bang from outside made her stop, "Look, I'll explain everything later, I promise, but right now we need to hurry," she advised as another bang echoed from outside.

Elizabeth continued looking at her suspiciously, before nodding slowly, "I understand," she answered.

Hermione nodded, quickly running towards the doors. Closing them, she pulled out her wand, muttering the locking charm, and she heard a click. Satisfied, she turned and went back into the room, "We're safe for now," she told them.

Will nodded to her before turning back to Elizabeth, "I have been given a job to do. Beckett has ensured our freedom if I can get Jack's compass," he told her.

Elizabeth frowned, "Jack's compass? What could Beckett possibly want with that?" she asked, wondering what Beckett was really up to.

"I asked the same question," Hermione said, joining in as she sat on the bench. They all looked at her, "What could Beckett want with a compass the doesn't work? It doesn't even point North!" she stood up, clicking her fingers, "I bet there's a secret to it, like a compartment which opens up and has a map or something in it," she nodded, happy with her deduction even though she had no idea why the compass was special, "Why else would he want it?" she asked, the question hypothetical.

Will shook his head, "Does it matter?" he asked her harshly, and Hermione felt herself deflating at this. She was really starting to believe nothing would ever be the same with them. Ever since she had told him the truth he had been harsher and almost uncaring towards her. She wished even more that she had gone with Jack, and had half a mind to leave and search for him. At least he cared about her…, in some weird way anyway. She tuned back into her surroundings then as Will started speaking to Elizabeth again, "I'm to find Jack and convince him to return to Port Royal. In exchange the charges against us will be dropped," he told her, receiving a disbelieving look from her, "Is that lack of faith in Jack, or in me?" he asked her quietly.

Shaking her head, Elizabeth answered, "Of course I have faith in you. Both of you. Where will you find him?"

"Tortuga. I'll start there, and I won't stop searching until I find him, and then I intend to return here, to marry you," he promised, reaching through the bars, cupping her cheek affectionately.

Elizabeth leaned into his touch, "Properly?" she asked, looking into his eyes.

Will smiled, "Eagerly, if you'll still have me," he said, looking down at the ground.

Elizabeth tilted his chin up so he was looking at her, "If it weren't for these bars I'd have you already," she said, her eyes welling up with tears.

A loud clang knocked the two out of their moment, and they turned to see that Governor Swann had accidentally knocked a candle-holder off the wall. He picked it up, looking around for somewhere to put it, and finding nowhere suitable, he tossed it aside onto the floor.

Elizabeth smiled slightly, before turning back to Will, "I'll wait for you," she promised, a single tear falling from her eyes.

Will nodded, smiling at her, and wiped the tear away, "Keep a weather eye on the horizon," he told her, and she nodded. He stood up, walking to the stairs followed by Hermione and Governor Swann, and the three of them disappeared up them. Elizabeth sighed, leaning her head against the cold metal bars of her prison cell hoping and praying it wouldn't be too long a wait.

Outside the prison, Hermione grabbed Will's arm, causing him to stop and look at her, "I'm going with you," she stated.

Will shook his head, "No."

"Yes, I am," she said forcefully, before continuing, "I have my own reasons for wanting to find Jack," she told him as she started walking again.

Will stopped her by stepping in front of her, "What reasons?" he asked her, frowning.

"I don't believe it's any of your business," she seethed, pushing past him.

"What is wrong with you all of a sudden?" he asked her, following her as Governor Swann looked between them in confusion.

Hermione stopped, looking at the ground, "I'm not Cassandra, so don't bother trying to stop me. Whether we go to Tortuga together or separately I am going to find Jack," she said before walking away again, leaving the two men stunned in her wake.

oOoOoOo

It was raining in Tortuga, and Will and Hermione ran to take cover in a nearby tavern. Will looked around, searching the tavern for any signs of Jack. He turned to Hermione, "Wait here," he advised, and she nodded.

Will walked towards a weathered sailor, sitting drinking a pint of rum, "Excuse me?" he said politely as he reached him. The sailor looked up at him, nodding for him to continue, "I don't suppose you know of a man named Jack Sparrow?" he asked him, watching as the sailors expression turned from one of curiosity to annoyance.

By this point, Hermione had wandered over to the table as a drunken patron had been trying to cop a feel. Will had noticed this, and had been about to nod her over, but she had made that decision herself. She came to stand beside him as the sailor spoke, "_Captain_ Jack Sparrow? Owes me four doubloons. Heard he was dead," he answered, taking a swig of his rum.

Will thanked him, and the two made their way to the bar. Hermione managed to get the attention of the tavern master who walked over to them, "Yes? What is it?" he asked them.

"Have you heard of a man named Jack Sparrow?" Hermione asked, knowing probably everyone in Tortuga knew him.

The tavern master chuckled, "Aye, I know Captain Jack Sparrow. Can't say he's much welcome 'ere though," he lowered his voice, leaning in and they could smell rum on his breath as he spoke which made Hermione want to gag, "He ain't liked much by the patrons, so he never bothers to show 'is face round 'ere," he advised them.

Hermione sighed, "Any idea where he could be?" she asked him.

The tavern master shook his head, shuffling off to serve another patron. Hermione and Will were about to give up when a fisherman at the bar turned to them. One of his eyes was bright blue, the other was white. Hermione understood he was half-blind, but it creeped her out. He smiled crookedly, showing his wonky and rotten teeth, "Lookin' for ol' Jack are we?" he asked, and at their nod he continued, "I 'magine he'll be in Singapore. Tha's wha' I 'eard. He'll be drunk wi' a smile on 'is face. Sure as the tide, Jack Sparrow will turn up in Singapore," he told them confidently.

"HA!" came a voice from behind the fisherman, and the two companions looked to see who had laughed. They both couldn't help the feeling of amusement as they remembered what happened the last time they had come across the red-headed Scarlett, and the blonde Giselle. They were just surprised to see them both standing in the same vicinity as each other. Will took a deep breath before asking, "Have either of you lovely ladies seen Jack Sparrow?"

"Jack Sparrow!" Giselle said, laughing.

Scarlett joined in laughing before advising, "I haven't seen 'im in a month."

Giselle smiled, walking up to him, "When you do find him, will you give him a message?" she asked sweetly.

Will's expression scrunched up in worry, "Yes?" he agreed timidly. Giselle slapped Will across the face, hard, causing him to fall into one of the tables which was, thankfully, empty of patrons. Hermione burst out laughing, but stopped at Will's glare.

They left the tavern, noticing a black man sitting on the dock, mending his nets. He looked as though he may be a fisherman or a shrimper. On the dock behind him was a bunch of bananas, and a goat being loaded aboard a ship. They glanced at each other, shrugging, before walking over to the man, "Excuse me?" Hermione said as they approached.

The man looked up, smiling at them, "How can I help? Come to buy some shrimp?" he asked them.

"No thank you, we just want to ask you something?" she advised him.

"Ask away?" the shrimper said, his smile widening slightly.

"Have you seen or heard of a man called Jack Sparrow?" Will asked him curiously.

The shrimper laughed, causing them to look at each other in hope in case this man had seen him, "Cannot say about Jack Sparrow, but dere's an island, just south of de straits, where I trade spice for… mmm… delicious long pork. Cannot say about Jack, but you find a ship dere. A ship wit' black sails," he told them, speaking as if it was a huge secret.

Jack and Hermione looked at each other, a glimmer of hope in their eyes, "Black sails…" they both said at the same time.

"I'll take you both dere on my boat, aye," he offered.

Hermione turned back to the man who was still smiling at them, "Thank you, sir," she said, smiling at him, and Will nodded at him. The two made their way onto the boat with the shrimper, "It's our best bet," Hermione said, and Will nodded in agreement, before helping the other members of the crew make ready the boat to set sail.

oOoOoOo

The shrimper handed Will his spyglass, letting him look through it towards the approaching island. He could see the Black Pearl stranded on the beach. Will lowered the spyglass, passing it back to him, "Yes, that's Jack's ship," Will advised him.

"Good den, my brother will take you ashore," the shrimper told him, as his brother came to stand beside him.

They lowered the row-boat into the water, and the brother went on first, followed by Hermione, and then Will. The shrimper's brother began rowing them towards the shore, stopping just short of the beach so he wouldn't get stuck in the sand.

Will, not realising this, turned the shrimper's brother, "What's wrong? The beach is right there," he said, but the man shook his head.

The man said something in French, and both Will and Hermione looked at him in confusion, "What?" they both asked in unison.

"Bon voyage, monsieur, mademoiselle," the shrimper's brother said, gesturing for them to get out of his row-boat.

They both looked at each other, knowing they didn't have a choice, and jumped into the water, swimming ashore. They waded ashore, Will removing his sword and waving it around to get the water off it, "Watch where you're waving that!" Hermione said in annoyance as she ducked to avoid being hit.

"Sorry," he muttered, replacing his sword at his waist. They made their way towards the Black Pearl, walking alongside it. It was tied with ropes which had been attached to stakes in the sand, "Jack! Jack Sparrow! Marty! Cotton! Anybody?" Will shouted out, but there was no answer.

The two companions wandered into the palm jungle bordering the beach, not noticing Cotton's parrot which fluttered up to land atop a palm stump, "Awk!" it squawked, gaining their attention.

"Ah! A familiar face!" Will announced in relief.

"That means they have to be here!" Hermione surmised, feeling more hopeful as the day went on.

"Rawk! Don't eat me!" Cotton's parrot squawked, causing them to look at it in confusion.

"We're not going to eat you," Hermione told it gently.

"Don't eat me! No! Don't eat me! Akkk!" Cotton's parrot squawked as if in panic.

As Hermione was trying to calm the parrot down, Will noticed something glinting in the sun. Moving closer, he realised it was Gibbs' husk canteen hanging on a plant, trailing on a long string, "Gibbs," Will whispered, beginning to worry and wonder what had happened to the crew.

Hermione came to stand at his side, both looking at the canteen with a foreboding feeling. They ended up following the string attached to the canteen which lead over towards a large tree. They both failed to notice human eyes lurking at them belonging to a man who was camouflaged against a nearby tree. The man shouted, jumping out from the tree at Will, startling them both. Will was yanked back by a snare, and was dangling upside-down from a rope.

"Will!" Hermione shouted, taking out her wand, trying to stun the man, but he was too quick, and grabbed her, holding her in place.

"Hermione!" he shouted back, taking out his sword as more camouflaged men charged out of the bushes, surrounding them from all directions. Will swung his sword which was awkward from his angle, but it kept them at bay. They were talking in a strange language as Will shouted threats towards them. Eventually, one of the camouflaged men, who had a bone through his nose, pulled out his blowgun, and shot a dart into Will's neck.

Hermione felt her heart drop as Will's body went limp, and he dropped his sword to the ground, "No! Will! Let go of me! Will! Please, wake up!" The man then turned towards Hermione, and blew a dart at her. Her vision blurred quickly, and then she saw no more.

oOoOoOo

The men who had captured Will and Hermione were moving along a bridge. Hermione started to come to first, opening her eyes to find she had a banging headache, and her vision was still blurry. Struggling to look around, she realised she was being carried by the men who had captured them. She spotted being carried in front, he was still unconscious. He was being carried while hung from a bamboo pole, his head was hanging back.

Her eyes found the ground, and she gasped when she saw human skulls lining the path along which they were being taken. She felt her heart go into her throat when she realised these people must be cannibals. Looking at where her hands were tied, she knew she wouldn't be able to reach her wand… if her wand was even still on her person. She may have lost it for all she knew. The angle she was hanging from did not give her much room to check if it was on her person.

Deciding there was nothing which could be done for the moment, she turned her gaze towards where they were being carried, and she had to shut her eyes tightly as they were carried over a rope bridge to stop her vertigo kicking in and making her dizzy and sick.

Keeping her eyes closed for a moment, she heard one of the cannibals speak, "Hurry-hurry tan daga!" and she realised that some of the words they used were English. She chanced opening her eyes to find they were back on solid ground, and she glanced around for the source of the voice. Finding him, she would have laughed if she was not in a life-threatening situation. He was wearing an English white wig, whilst using a Western style fan. If she had been watching this on a Muggle Television, she would have found it funny.

They were brought into the village shortly after this, and brought before a throne made of what she believed was human bones. By this point, Will had woken up and was feeling very angry at the situation they now found themselves in. Looking up at the throne, she was expecting to see a tribe chief…, but sitting on the throne was the elusive Jack Sparrow. Hermione gasped, "Jack…" she whispered, knowing he wouldn't hear her from the drums playing in the background.

The music came to a stop, and Jack's eyes popped open, revealing that his eyelids had been painted to look like his eyes were open. Will shook his head, not believing what he was witnessing, "Jack? Jack Sparrow! I can honestly say I am glad to see you!" Will stated, seeming to be genuinely happy.

Jack tilted his head, not saying anything in comment to his statement. He arose from his throne, walking over to Will. He pushed one finger into Will's shoulder as if testing how much meat Will had on him.

"Jack? Don't you recognise us?" Hermione pleaded, as Jack came over to her.

He paused in front of her, looking directly into her eyes, before turning to the tribe, "Ally ding dong, wilbo washy," he said, speaking gibberish.

Suddenly, Hermione felt the restraints on her wrists being cut away, and she was released from the bamboo stick. Confused, she looked at Jack, "What's going on?" she asked him, but he just stared at her, before grabbing her arm and dragging her over to the throne, making her sit in it.

"Jack! What the hell are you doing!?" Will shouted, getting really infuriated that Jack was being completely ignorant.

Jack walked back over to Will again, prodding his shoulder again, "Wa-say kohn," he said to the tribe.

"Een dah-lah. Eeseepi," one answered back.

"Eeseepi," the crowd of cannibals chanted together.

Will looked around at them, starting to panic slightly, "Tell them to let me down, Jack," he said, his voice almost at pleading point, but not quite.

Jack looked at him for a moment, before turning to the tribe, "Kay-lay lam. Lam piki-piki. Lam eensy weensy. Lam say-say… eunuchy. Snip-snip," he told them, and Will didn't need a translator to know he had, once again, insulted his manhood, and to a bunch of cannibals no less.

"Ahhh... eunuchy!" they all laughed at Will's expense.

Jack began to walk away, as if he was disinterested in what was going on, his compass was hanging from his waist. Will noticed it and started squirming, "Jack! The Compass! That's all I need, Elizabeth is in danger. We were arrested for trying to help _you_. She faces the gallows!" he pleaded with him, causing Jack to halt in his step and pause.

Turning back to the crowd, he casually began walking back towards them, "Say-say lam shoop-shoop sha smalay-lama shoo-koo. Savvy? Ball licky-licky. Ball licky-licky!" Jack announced, serving only to confuse Will and Hermione more.

Hermione wasn't entirely sure what was going on, and she had been in too much shock to say anything except sit there, "Jack?" she called quietly, but he didn't turn to look at her. She did notice the perceptible movement of his hand clenching tightly, and hoped that was his way of telling her this was all a farce.

The cannibals were chanting repetitiously now, and Hermione watched as Jack walked back over to Will, "Save me!" he muttered as he walked passed him and over to Hermione.

Will watched him in utter bewilderment, before he felt himself being picked up and carried away towards the rope bridge, still attached to the bamboo stick, "Jack, what did you tell them? No! What about Elizabeth? _Jack__…__!_" he shouted as he disappeared out of sight.

"Jack! What the hell are you doing!?" Hermione shouted, rounding on him now she had found her voice.

Jack sighed, "I'm gonna need your help if we're ever getting out of this with our hides intact, lass," Jack told her, his eyes pleading for her to just go along with it.

Hermione nodded, "Fine, but once we're out of here, you have some explaining to do," she told him, leaving no argument.

"Of course, lass," he answered with a bright smile, showing teeth.

oOoOoOo

Elizabeth was sitting alone in her prison cell, trying valiantly to ignore the male prisoners in the cell next to her who were whistling and beckoning her to go over to them, "We don't bite…Come on…" they were saying, and Elizabeth wished it would end.

As if her prayers were answered, Governor Swann appeared at her cell door, "Father!?" she cried, wanting to hug him, but the bars were in the way.

Governor Swann pulled out keys from his coat pocket, using one of them to open the cell door, "Come on, we do not have much time. I need to get you out of here," he said, grabbing her hand, and leading her upstairs and out of the prison building.

Elizabeth frowned at him, "Why don't you tell me what's happening?" she asked him.

"Not now. William should never have left, it was irresponsible," he answered, leading her down a narrow path between two buildings.

"No! Will has gone to find Jack! He's a better man than you give him credit for," Elizabeth told him as they reached a horse and carriage which was waiting.

The Governor opened the door to the carriage, holding it open as Elizabeth climbed in, and he climbed in after her. He shook his head sadly as he sat down, "A fair trial for William ends in a hanging," he said gently, and her eyes widened, filling with tears. He quickly shut the door, and signalled from the driver to get them moving.

The carriage took off, making its way down the path, bumping as it went over stones and the uneven gravelly road. It was not long before they reached a dock where Captain Hawkins was standing silently, facing out to the sea.

The captain's body soon fell, revealing Mercer who has been standing behind the body, a long knife in his hand, "Evening, Governor. Shame, huh? He was carryin' this. It's a letter to the King. It's from _you,_" he announced as horses and soldiers arrived at the dock to cut off the Governor from fleeing from the dock. The Governor closed his eyes tightly in panic as the carriage door was opened, but it was completely empty. Governor Swann let out a breath of relief knowing Elizabeth had escaped. Mercer turned on him, "Where is she?" he demanded, grabbing the Governor by the lapels, and pushing him up against the side of the carriage with enough force to knock the wind out of him.

oOoOoOo

Beckett's quarters were bathed in darkness, the only light coming from a lantern he was holding as he walked back in from the balcony. Walking to a table, he opened a wooden box, revealing that the Letters of Marque which had been in there were missing. Beckett stood up straight, knowing now and sensing the presence of someone else in the room, "No doubt you've discovered that loyalty is no longer the currency of the realm, as your father believes," he said, knowing only one person would be interested in taking those letters.

Slipping into the dark room from an interior door, Elizabeth made her way towards him, her hands held behind her back, "Then what is?" she asked him.

"I'm afraid that _currency_ is the currency of the realm," he answered, turning to look at her.

Elizabeth smiled sardonically, "I expect then that we can come to some sort of understanding. I'm here to negotiate," she told him, leaving no room for argument.

Beckett turned fully towards her, "I'm listening," he said, not looking entirely interested. Elizabeth revealed what was behind her back, pointing the pistol at Beckett's head, "I'm listening _intently,_" he said, his voice cracking slightly.

"These Letters of Marque, they are signed by the King?" Elizabeth asked him.

He nodded, "Yes, and they're not valid until they bear my signature and my seal," he answered her.

"Or else I would not still be here," she said, pausing for a moment, before looking at him, "You sent Will to get you the Compass owned by Jack Sparrow. It will do you no good."

Beckett was starting to become amused, "Do explain," he asked her.

She sighed, "I have been to Isla de Muerta, I have seen the treasure myself. There is something you need to know," she started, but Beckett held up a hand to stop her in her tracks.

Smiling at her, he spoke, "Ah, I see. _You_ think the Compass leads only to the Isla de Muerta, and so you hope to _save_ me from an evil fate, but you mustn't worry. I care not for cursed Aztec gold. My desires are not so provincial. There's more than one chest of value in these waters. So perhaps you may wish to enhance your offer," he told her, thinking he had won the negotiation.

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows before cocking her pistol from where it was still pointed at Beckett's head. In her free hand, she waved the letters as if making a point. Beckett, knowing she would be willing to kill him because of this, signed the documents to be on the safe side, and handed them back to her, "Consider into your calculations that you robbed me of my wedding night," she told him as if this explained why she was doing this.

Beckett nodded, "So I did. A marriage interrupted, or fate intervenes. You make great efforts to ensure Jack Sparrow's freedom," he said, sounding as though he may be assuming too much.

Elizabeth shook her head, "These aren't going to Jack," she revealed to him.

Beckett raised his eyebrows, "Oh really. To ensure Mister Turner's freedom, then? I'll still want that Compass. Consider that in your calculations," he told her, and Elizabeth found herself wondering what she was going to do.

**A/N: Well I hope you all liked it, and I am really sorry again for the long wait. I definitely aim to have this story completed within the next few months. However, I have no idea what will happen in the future. Please be assured this story has not been and will not be abandoned at any point. Anyway, please leave me a review to let me know how I got on with this chapter as it is the first proper piece I have done in almost a year.**


	15. Bound in Darkness

**_Chapter 15 - __Bound in Darkness  
><em>**_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to PotC nor HP as they remain the properties of their respective owners. I do own the plot though and any additional characters I add. Also, familiar dialogue is from the PotC films which belongs to Disney and the director Gore Verbinski.**_

**A/N: Another chapter for you all. Hope you enjoy, and please leave a review.**

oOoOoOo  
>Drums were pounding, the noise giving Hermione a headache, and she reached up to rub her temples. She was now sitting uncomfortably on a stool made of human bones next to the throne. Jack was sitting on the throne, and one of the cannibals came forward, handing Jack a necklace made of human toes, which caused her to gag at the sight. Jack grimaced, taking the offering, "Thank you," he said, looking down at it.<p>

He frowned, seeing one of the toe nails was extremely long, and he brought it up to his mouth, biting off part of the nail, trimming it. Hermione turned around, throwing up as Jack spat the nail out before re-examining the toe.

oOoOoOo  
>On another part of the island, two spherical cages, made from the bones of six Black Pearl crewmen apiece, hung from ropes over a deep chasm. Will had been put into the same cage as Gibbs, Cotton, Marty, and two others, "Why would he do this to us? If Jack is their chief, can't he just tell them we're friends?" Will asked, angry that Jack would just let this happen.<p>

Gibbs shook his head, "Aye, the Pelegostos made Jack their chief, but he only remains chief as long as he _acts_ like a chief," he explained to him.

Will nodded in understanding, "Ah so he had no choice then. He's as much a captive as the rest of us," he surmised.

Grimacing, Gibbs answered, "Worse…, as it turns out. See, the Pelegostos believe that Jack is a _god_ in human form, and they intend to do him the honour of releasing him from his fleshy prison," as he was saying this, Cotton leaned over, biting Gibbs' finger as if to illustrate his point, "Argh!" he shouted, shoving Cotton away from him, before turning back to Will, "They'll roast him, and eat him," he finished.

Will frowned in worry, "Hermione's up there with him! What will they do to her?" he asked them.

Gibbs looked at him in confusion, "Who's Hermione?"

Will shook his head, realising they wouldn't have been told what had happened, "Cassandra…, long story. What will they do to her?"

"How was she treated?" Gibbs asked, worry starting to show on his face.

"I don't really know, but she was untied, and then made to sit on this throne by Jack. Like she was being honoured or something," Will explained. At these words, Gibbs' looked down sadly. Will felt panic rising in him, "What, Gibbs?" he asked, needing to know what was going to happen to her.

"Sounds like he showed some form of interest in her, and she's been chosen to be his bride. That means she may get the same treatment as Jack," Gibbs informed him.

Will closed his eyes, the horror of their situation hitting him in full. He should have protected her. She was a powerful person though, as long as she had her wand she should be fine, and he liked to hope Jack wouldn't let anything happen to her.

Changing the subject, he asked, "Where's the rest of the crew?"

Gibbs grimaced again, "These cages we're in… weren't built 'til _after_ we got here," he revealed. Will had been gripping the bars made of human bones, but quickly pulled his hands away. Gibbs continued, "The feast is about to begin. Jack's and Cassandra's lives will end… when the drums stop," he told him.

Will looked at him, before turning to the rest of the crew, "Well, we can't just sit here and wait then, can we?" he said to them.

oOoOoOo  
>Jack was rubbing Hermione's back gently, he whispered, "I have to make it look like I'm their chief lass. We're safe for the moment, but that may not last long," even at these words, Hermione couldn't look at him, so he continued, "Hermione, I have to act like a savage…" he trailed off as she turned, looking at him. She couldn't speak in fear of throwing up again, but she nodded to show she understood their plight. He smiled, "Get ready to run," he said, and she nodded.<p>

Standing up, he sauntered over to where the cannibals were still pounding on their drums. Taking a deep breath, he started making hand gestures towards the fire, "No! No, no! Wait! No, no! More wood! Big fire! _Big _fire! I am chief! Want big fire! Come on! Boy! Maboogie snickel-snickel. Tout de suite! Come on! More wood!" he ordered, and the cannibal standing next to Jack left to go put more wood on the fire. Several cannibals came back, putting large pieces of wood on the fire. Turning around, angry gasps were chorused when they realised Jack and Hermione were gone.

oOoOoOo  
>Jack was running across a foot bridge, pulling Hermione along behind him by her hand. He stopped suddenly upon reaching a cliff edge, almost tottering at the edge. He looked down, "We're not going to get across this way," he muttered, before noticing a length of bamboo pole lying on the ground.<p>

Hermione watched him, feeling uncomfortable knowing the cannibals could be right behind them, and Jack seemed to be wasting time. He ran into a nearby hut, seeing various supplies. Stopping for a moment, he shook his head upon hearing the sound of flies buzzing around. Ignoring the flies, he picked up a rope, and made to leave the hut, but halted, turning back to look inside. Hermione frowned further as he ran back into the hut again, picking up a can of paprika. She reached into her sleeve, a feeling of relief washing over her when she realised her wand was there. She placed her hand on the hilt of the wand, and used the sticking charm so it would stay attached to her sleeve.

Hermione heard running footsteps, and she turned to see the tribe had caught up with them. She was grabbed from behind, her arms held behind her back, "Jack?" she tried to say, but her captive slapped his hand over her mouth.

Walking back out of the hut, Jack suddenly realised the predicament they found themselves in as the entire tribe were waiting silently, staring at him. Jack gulped, "Oh bugger," he muttered, dropping the coil of rope. He raised the paprika and began sprinkling it on his armpits while smiling at them, "Little seasoning. Eh?" he reasoned, but the tribe grabbed him, tying him to a bamboo pole along with Hermione so they were side by side. They carried them back to the village, setting the bamboo pole on two stands which held them hanging face down over a pile of wood. Around them, the cannibals were dancing wildly. Jack was laughing fearfully, "Well done," he stuttered, before looking at Hermione in worry.

"What are we going to do?" Hermione asked him, trying in vain to loosen the rope around her wrists so could try and reach her wand.

"I think we may actually be buggered this time, lass," Jack answered, the worry really starting to become clear on his face.

oOoOoOo  
>Back with the captives, the men began swinging the cages with increasingly wide arcs. Both cages finally came within reach of the cliff, and they reached out, grabbing the vines so they could hang on to the cliff face. Gibbs turned to the crew alongside him, "Put your legs through, start to climb! Agh!" he told them, doing this himself.<p>

Will also gave encouragement, "Come on men! It'll take all of us to crew the Black Pearl!"

Leech placed a hand on his arm, "Actually, you won't need everyone. 'Bout six would do! Ohhh… dear," he revealed as Gibbs nodded in agreement as the men in the other cage gave them a competitive glance.

Will slipped his legs through the gaps in the cage, "Hurry!" he shouted, and both cage groups began racing against each other up the cliff, "Come on! Go! Go! Go! Come on! Give it all you got!" he was saying as they slowly ascended. He looked across the gap, see a cannibal crossing the rope bridge above them. He held out his hand, "Hey! Hey… Stop! Stop! Stop! Shhh! Shhh!"

The cannibal stopped near the end of the rope bridge, "Shhh!" Leech called, but one of the cage groups decided to take the risk of climbing, despite the nearby cannibal, "What's he doing? Stop!" he cried as quietly as he could, and one of the men in the climbing cage grabbed hold of a coral snake from the cliff instead of the vine. He let go of the snake, and the vines, which caused the rope to break, and their cage fell into the ravine below.

Will looked away, "Move!" he said, as the remaining crew in the cage started climbing again. He just prayed Hermione and Jack would be okay.

oOoOoOo  
>As the cannibals were dancing around the fire, the drums pounding, another cannibal crossed over the bridge quickly shouting out, "Ahhh! Fye-fye! Ahhh! Fye-fye!" The cannibal arrived, panting, telling the rest of the tribe that the men in the cages were escaping, "Da latazo! Da litozo! Hay la paka say-say!" he shouted, but the crowd just stood silently, not knowing whether to stay or take chase of the escapees.<p>

Jack growled slightly, "Well, go on! Go get them! Hay ala!" he ordered them.

"Hay ala! Ala, ala!" they chanted, running off to chase after the men who escaped from the cages. In their haste, one of the cannibals dropped a lighted torch onto the pile of wood underneath Jack and Hermione.

Hermione gasped, as Jack shouted, "No! No no! Oi! No no!" The edges of the wood begun to catch fire as well, and black smoke rose up making Hermione cough, "Not good," Jack said in panic as he began to blow futilely at the igniting wood.

Hermione tried more desperately now to loosen the ropes, and reach her wand so she could free them, "Jack, I need your help!" she cried, making him turn to look at her questioningly, "Reach for my hands, try and untie the rope!" she told him, and he did as she asked. He could just reach her hands, and starting trying to grip the rope and pull it away or loosen it at least.

oOoOoOo  
>The remaining cage reached the top of the cliff finally. Will turned, noticing the cannibals were closing in on them, "Cut it loose! Find a rock!" he shouted as Marty reached for a rock which was closest to him, and handed it to Will. Will managed to sever the cage's cable by hammering with the rock, but the men soon realised they would be unable to get the cage open in time before the cannibals would reach them. Thinking on his feet quickly, Will said, "Roll the cage!" and at these words the men began pushing against the bones making it roll down the hill, falling over a tiny cliff. It kept rolling down a slightly steeper hill, crashing against a coconut palm trunk without breaking, "Lift the cage! Hurry!" Will shouted, and the men put their legs through the gaps, carrying it instead.<p>

"Come on, men! Lift it like a lady's skirt!" Gibbs shouted, urging them on and the men began running with their legs protruding from the cage, holding it up. Marty, who was a lot smaller than the other crewmen, made the running motion with his short legs, but he was unable to actually reach the ground, "Come on!" Gibbs shouted as they slowly and awkwardly made their escape.

oOoOoOo  
>"There!" Jack exclaimed as he managed to loosen Hermione's hands, and she pulled them free. She was really glad she was quite agile, swinging herself up to her feet, and untying the ropes. She used her momentum to swing to the ground away from the fire, and grabbed a makeshift axe made from a thick stick and a sharpened stone, and hammered away at the stand. It broke easily enough, and Jack was able to get his feet on the ground.<p>

Hermione untied his feet, before turning and running towards the robe bridge, "Hey!" Jack shouted after her, following with the bamboo pole still tied to his back. Hermione stopped upon encountering a cannibal boy standing silently with a fork and a knife, one in each of his hands. Hermione snatched the knife from him, before turning back to Jack who was panting, and she used the knife to try and cut the rope off.

Two cannibal woman appeared then, and Jack charged at them, but the bamboo pole still attached to his back ended up spearing a coconut in a pile near the cliff edge. Hermione watched in utter amazement as Jack turned suddenly, flinging the coconut off the end of the pole into one of the cannibal's faces. Slowly lifting the dripping coconut from his face, the cannibal scowled at Jack.

oOoOoOo  
>Back with the others, the cage rolled over a ledge into a small chasm holding a river. Cannibal's were throwing spears and shooting arrows at the men in the water, so they decided to swim underwater making it harder for the cannibal's to see them.<p>

Gibbs surfaced for a moment, followed by the other, "This way, lads!" he said to them, leading them down the chasm.

oOoOoOo

Hermione watched in amusement as the two cannibal women threw numerous fruits at Jack, while the pole was still on his back. Several of the fruits impaled along the pole, making Jack look very much like he was part of a shish-ka-bob.

"Da litozo! Da litozo!" the cannibal boy shouted.

Hermione was becoming bored with this display, they needed to get out of there, "Jack!" she called, and gaining his attention, she said, "Come on!" with that, she took a running jump across the chasm, landing safely on the other side.

Jack followed suit, pole vaulting across the chasm, barely landing on the edge safely. Hermione watched in horror as the fruit began to slide down the end of his pole, putting weight on the end over the chasm. She reached out to grab him, but the weight caused her to topple over with him. They both screamed as they fell into the chasm, the two cannibal woman watching disinterestedly.

As the chasm narrowed, the pole caught at the side, stopping his fall, and managed to grab Hermione before she fell to her death, but the weight caused the pole to slip loose, "Bugger," he said, as they started to descend again, both screaming. As they fell through a rope bridge, Hermione managed to grab a hold of one of the ropes, but Jack was hanging upside-down in the chasm as the rope had caught the bamboo pole. Hermione watched as he fell through a total of six rope bridges before landing on his back in the grass.

The rope Hermione was holding onto snapped, and she fell, screaming, only just managing to grab one of the ropes from the bottom rope bridge. Her hands were killing her from the rope burn, but she managed to get a good grip, unsticking her wand from inside her sleeve, she looked down, conjuring a mattress on the ground below her. Gaging the fall, she knew it would hurt even with the mattress there to cushion her fall. Shimmying down to the bottom of the rope, she closed her eyes and let go, falling to the mattress.

An excruciating pain shot through her arm, and she cried out. Grabbing her wand which was next to her on the grass, she pointed it at her arm and muttered a spell to mend any broken bones. She screamed as the bones shifted back into place, tears falling from her eyes. She then said another spell which formed a bandage to support her arm. She lay there for a moment, before turning her eyes to Jack just as the bamboo pole fell from where it was still attached to the rope above them, and speared the ground next to his head. The fruit which had been on the bamboo stick tumbled down afterwards.

oOoOoOo  
>On the beach, Ragetti and Cotton's parrot were aboard the Black Pearl, while Pintel was on the beach below, "Pull-loose the mooring lines! The mooring lines!" Pintel was shouting up to Ragetti.<p>

The monkey leapt down towards Ragetti, chattering as it grabbed his wooden eye, "Thief! Little hairy thief! Give it back! Don't bite it!" he shouted as he took chase of the monkey.

Pintel was becoming aggravated, "Unloose the mooring lines!" he shouted again, wondering what in the world Ragetti was doing.

Ragetti leaned over the side of the ship, "He's got me eye! He won't give it back!" he complained, pointing at the monkey who was trying to chew on his eye.

Pintel sighed, "Well, how'd you get it back last time?" he asked, his patience wearing thin.

At that moment, Gibbs, Will, and the other remaining escapees reached the ship. Gibbs patted Pintel on the back, "Excellent work! Work's half done!" he shouted before climbing onto the ship.

Pintel smiled as innocently as he could, "We done it for you! Knowin' you'd be comin' back for us," he said, moving to climb aboard as well.

Gibbs looked around at the crew which was left, "Make ready to sail, boy," he ordered them.

"Wait! What about Jack and Cassandra? I won't leave without them," he said adamantly.

"Hey! Wait for us!" Will heard Hermione shouting in the distance, and turned to see her running down the beach with Jack in tow towards the ship. Will smiled, thankful that they were okay, but his smile fell as he saw the crown of cannibal's suddenly appearing and running down the beach in pursuit of them.

"They're almost here. Time to go," Will stated, helping them get the ship ready, just hoping they would make it in time.

Gibbs nodded, shouting "Cast off those lines!" at this point, Hermione had reached the ship and was climbing aboard, but Jack was a fair bit behind her screaming while running down the beach, "Make ready to cast off!" Gibbs ordered, as the men ran around the ship, getting it ready.

The dog which was with Ragetti and Pintel had sprinted off up the beach, giving chase to Jack, barking at him, "Good doggie! Doggie!" he said, grabbing a hold of the rigging on the side of the departing ship. Turning back to the tribe, "_Alas_, my children! This is the day you shall always remember as the day that you almost-" Jack was cut off as a large wave splashed him from behind. Spitting out the sea water, he finished, "Captain Jack… Sparrow."

The crowd of cannibal's fell silent, watching the ship leave. The dog, who had been left on the beach, began barking excitedly at the departing ship. The heads of the cannibal crowd turned toward the dog. The dog's ears fell, his barks falling silent. He let out a whimper, before fleeing back down the beach, and the cannibal's gave chase, shouting at the dog.

Hermione watched the scene sadly, "Poor thing, I hope he manages to find somewhere to hide. We should have grabbed him, and got him on board," she said to Will who was standing next to her.

Will shook his head, "It's unfortunate, but we didn't have time," he said, trying to reassure her.

Hermione nodded slowly, he had a good point, but it was still horrible. Gibbs and Jack walked over to them, looking back at the cannibal crowd chasing the dog, "Let's put some distance between us and this island, and head out to open sea," Gibbs said, to which Jack nodded in agreement.

"Yes to the first, yes to the second, but only insofar as we keep to the shallows as much as possible," Jack ordered him.

Gibbs frowned in confusion, "Uh, that seems a bit contradictory, Captain."

Jack turned to him, "I have every faith in your reconciliatory navigational skills, Master Gibbs," he said, grinning at him. He turned around, walking the length of the wooden deck, "Now where is that monkey? I want to shoot _something_," Jack muttered, looking around. The monkey let out a scream, dropping Ragetti's eye. Ragetti scrambled to the floor, grabbing his eye and spitting on it, before rubbing the spit around it.

The monkey was chattering, climbing up into the rigging. Jack took his pistol out, pointing it towards the monkey, ready to shoot it. He was distracted by a voice… "Jack," Will said, impatiently.

"Ah," Jack responded, not looking at him, but concentrating on aiming his pistol.

"Elizabeth is in danger," Will advised him.

Jack looked at him briefly before answering, "Have you considered keeping a more watchful eye on 'er? Maybe just lock her up somewhere?"

Will reached up, rubbing his eyes in annoyance, "She _is_ locked up, in a prison, bound to hang for helping _you_!" he shouted at him, causing Jack to actually look at him.

"There comes a time when one must take responsibility for one's mistakes," Jack reasoned, placing his hand on Will's shoulder in a comforting gesture.

Angry at his words, Will pulled a sword from the waistband of a pirate who had just turned around, pointing it at Jack, "I need that Compass of yours, Jack. I must trade it for her freedom," Will revealed, but Jack just stared at him as if his words weren't fully sinking into his brain.

Without turning around, Jack pushed Will's acquired sword aside, making his way towards the back of the ship, "Mister Gibbs!" he called.

Gibbs was by his side momentarily, "Cap'n."

"We have a need to travel upriver," he informed him.

Gibbs was confused, "By need, d'you mean a… trifling need, a… fleeting, as in say in a passing fancy?" he asked him.

Jack looked at him, frowning as if Gibbs had grown another head, "No, a… resolute and unyielding need."

Hermione came to stand next to Jack, "Where are we going, Jack?" she asked, but her question was drowned out by Will.

"What we need to do is make sail for Port Royal with all haste," Will said resolutely.

Jack turned to Will, a look of absolute boredom on his face, "William…" the way he said it successfully halted Will in his tracks, "I shall trade you the Compass, if you will help me…" he paused, taking out a piece of paper, holding it up to him, "…to find _this_."

Will and Hermione looked at the picture in curiosity, "It's a key," Hermione deduced, stating the obvious.

"Ding ding, you are correct!" Jack shouted, dancing about excitedly.

Rolling his eyes, he grabbed Jack's arm to stop his dancing, "You want me to find this?" he asked him, taking a closer look at the picture.

Shaking his head, Jack responded, "No. _You_ want you to find this, because the finding this finds you incapacitorially finding and/or locating and you're discovering the detecting of a way to save your dotty belle ol'… what's-her-face. Savvy?" Everyone was confused by this statement, some not even trying to figure out what he said.

Will had taken some of the things he had said, and believed he had pieced together something that resembled what he actually said, "This… is going to save Elizabeth?" he asked him.

Nodding and grinning like a Cheshire cat, which caused Hermione to laugh, Jack asked, "How much do you know about Davy Jones?"

"Not much," Will responded with a shrug.

Jack's grin became wider, "Yeah, it's gonna save Elizabeth," he answered.

oOoOoOo  
>A few days had passed since the Black Pearl had made her escape from Cannibal Island. They had come upon another island, one which Jack seemed to be very familiar with. Presently, Hermione was sitting in a longboat, Jack standing behind her, while Will and Gibbs were in front of her. They were beginning their way through the mouth of the Pantano River. Before long, the longboats entered into a swampy area with twisting roots everywhere.<p>

Will looked up at the silent Jack, before turning to Gibbs, "Why is Jack afraid of the open ocean?" he asked quietly, trying not to draw Jack's attention.

Hermione also leaned in, making a show of placing her head in her arms as if she was tired, but she was listening, curious about this herself. Gibbs lowered his voice, "Well, if you believe such things, there's a beast does the bidding of Davy Jones. A fearsome creature with giant tentacles that suction your face clean off, and drag an entire ship past the crushing darkness. The Kraken!" Gibbs raised his voice on the last word, causing Marty to turn around at the mention of the word. Pintel and Ragetti looked at each other, their expressions showing concern as Gibbs continued, "They say the stench of its breath is like…" he trailed off trying to think of the right way to explain, and clicked his fingers, "Ooh! Imagine: The last thing you know on God's green earth is the roar of the Kraken, and the reeking odour of a thousand rotting corpses. If you believe such things," he finished.

"And the key in that picture will spare him that?" Hermione asked him, causing Jack to look down at her from where he had been listening even though they were trying to be quiet.

Gibbs looked thoughtful as he replied, "Now that's the very question Jack wants answered. Bad enough even to go visit… _Her_."

"Her?" Hermione asked, her voice showing curiosity and what some might think is jealousy almost.

Gibbs nodded, "Aye."

They reached a bayou with fireflies, and an iguana which was sitting on a tree trunk to their left watching them. Hermione watched as the iguana's tongue slipped out, catching one of the nearby fireflies, and eating it with a quick slurping sound which made her grimace in disgust. She was uncomfortable with her surroundings, she could see people occasionally standing quietly in the darkness among the trees.

Jack decided to speak up at this point, "No worries, mates. Tia Dalma and I go way back. Thick as thieves. Nigh inseparable we are. Were. Have been. Before," he almost seemed unconvinced at his last words.

Gibbs nodded, rolling his eyes, "I'll watch your back," he assured him.

Jack grinned slightly, "It's me front I'm worried about," he said, stepping out of the boat onto the walkway which led to a small hut, "Mind the boat," he added as he passed.

Gibbs stood up, walking behind him, followed by Will, and then Hermione. Pintel, Ragetti, and Marty followed behind them, all saying as they passed, "Mind the boat," and Cotton was left alone in the longboat.

Cautiously, Jack turned the handle, pushing the door open slowly. A live snake was hanging near the inside of the door, moving slowly. Tia was sitting at a table. Looking up from her crab claws, she noticed Jack in the doorway, "Jack Sparrow!" she exclaimed, standing up to greet him.

"Tia Dalma!" he answered back, grinning as she approached.

She smiled, showing her rotting teeth, "I always know de wind was goin' blow you back to me one day," she said to him, before looking over at her other visitors, and seeing Will and Hermione standing in the doorway. She sauntered up to them slowly, taking Hermione's hand, "You are not from 'ere," she stated, looking down at her palms, "I cannot see yer future," she added, looking into her eyes, "You have been through much, girl," she said, before moving onto Will, "You," she pointed at him, making him pull back slightly, "You have a touch of… destiny about _you_, William Turner," she said to him, taking a closer look at him.

Will frowned, his expression mirroring Hermione's, but she was more fearful about being found out than anything else. Will looked at Tia curiously, "You know me?" he asked her, as if trying to remember if he had ever met this woman.

Tia laughed heartily, "You want to know _me_," she asked him, grinning, and eyeing him up and down with her eyes.

Jack grabbed her arm, pulling her away from Will, "There'll be no knowing here. We've come for help and we're not leaving without it," he said firmly, before adding under his breath for her to hear, "I thought _I_ knew you," and gave her a petulant look.

Tia smiled at him, "Not so well as I had hoped," she answered, winking at him, before moving further into the room, "Come," she said, gesturing for them to follow.

Jack turned to them, "Come," he said, repeating what she said, but as an order.

Sitting down, Tia looked at Jack, "What… service… may I do you? Hmm? You know I demand payment," she told him, holding out her hand.

Jack nodded, "I brought payment," he assured her, whistling once and a crew member brought forth the monkey in a cage, "Look!" he said pointing towards it. Tia looked at the monkey, unconvinced, until Jack cocked his pistol, shooting the monkey. The bullet had no effect, but the monkey was chattering in fright. Jack grinned, looking back at Tia, "An undead monkey! Top that!" he said, feeling proud of himself.

Tia stood, walking over to the cage. She lifted the cage door, letting the monkey scamper off. Gibbs outstretched his hands in anguish, "No! You've no idea how long it took us to catch that!" he cried, looking as though he may collapse to his knees in sorrow of how many days it took them to catch that blasted monkey!

Tia placed a gentle hand on his shoulder to calm him, "The payment is fair," she said, and Gibbs visually relaxed.

Jack pulled out the picture from his coat, "We're looking for this, and what it goes to," he told her.

Tia frowned, taking the picture from him, "The Compass you bartered from me. It cannot lead you to dis?" she asked him, pointing at the picture.

Jack suddenly looked very uncomfortable, "Maybe. Why?" he asked her.

Tia's expression turned to one of glee, "Ayeee… Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants! Or… do know, but are loathe to claim it as your own," she surmised, causing everyone to look at each other. Will and Jack both noticed Tia look over at Hermione with interest. Will looked between Hermione and Jack. Jack had lowered his head to the floor, and Hermione was blushing slightly. Will was about to open his mouth to question this, but Tia continued, "Your key go to a chest, and it is what lay inside the chest you seek, don't it?" she said, looking at Jack.

He nodded slightly, but he refused to raise his eyes to meet hers. He was fearful about what she might see there and reveal. Thankfully, Gibbs spared him, but asking, "What _is_ inside?"

Pintel spoke up, "Gold! Jewels? Unclaimed properties of a valuable nature?" he asked, getting excited.

Ragetti, suddenly uncomfortable of the jar of eyeballs which was hanging next to his face, said, "Nothing… bad, I hope."

Tia grinned at them, "You know of… Davy Jones, yes? A man of de sea. A great sailor, until he ran afoul of dat which vex all men," she said mysteriously.

Will was confused at this, "What vexes all men?" he asked her.

Tia looked at him, "What, indeed," she said.

Gibbs spoke up, "The sea?"

Pintel came second, "Sums!" he stated more than asked.

Ragetti then said, "Dichotomy of good and evil?" causing everyone to look at him in shock, "What?" he asked them.

"Do you even know what that word means?" Pintel asked him.

Before he could answer, Jack turned back to Tia, "It was a _woman_," he stated.

Tia nodded, smiling at him, "A wo-_man_. He fell in love," she revealed to them.

Gibbs shook his head, "No-no-no-no, I heard it was the _sea_ he fell in love with," he said, confused.

Tia waved his comment away, "Same story, different versions, and all are true. See, it was a _woman_, as changing, and harsh, and untameable as the sea. Him never stopped loving her, but the pain it cause 'im was too much to live wid, but not enough to cause him to die," she answered to which Gibbs nodded, understanding now.

Will scratched his head for a moment, looking thoughtful, "What… exactly did he put into the chest?" he asked, reluctantly.

Tia grinned at how uncomfortable they all looked, but how eager their expressions were for the answer to his question. She dragged it out for a moment, watching them sweat, before answering, "Him heart."

Hermione gasped, she had heard this story before, but the version she had heard had been altered to involve a witch and a wizard. The story itself was the same, but the characters used and the methods had been changed. It was almost like a Romeo and Juliet type story. For reasons unknown to her, she glanced over at Jack. Feeling eyes on him, Jack glanced over at her, giving her a small smile and a wink before tuning back into the conversation around him.

Ragetti spoke up, "Literally, or figuratively?" he asked, speaking of the heart.

Pintel smacked him atop the head, "He couldn't li'erally put his heart in a chest!" he said, but paused upon seeing Tia's grin, "Could he?" he added questioningly.

Tia paced slowly in front of them as she spoke, "It was not wort' feeling what… small fleeting joy life brings, and so… he carved out him heart, lock it away in a chest, and hide de chest from de world. De keys, he keep wid him at all times," she revealed to them.

Will turned on Jack, suddenly angry, "You knew this," he claimed, assuming Jack had known all along and this was a ploy to set him up.

Jack looked horrified at the notion, "I did not. I didn't know where the key was, but now we do. So all that's left is to climb aboard the Flying Dutchman, grab the key, you go back to Port Royal and save your bonnie lass, hey!" he exclaimed, happily, but Will glared at him.

Tia suddenly moved over to Jack, "Let me see your hand," she said, not leaving room for argument, so Jack showed her his untouched right hand. Tia grabbed his left hand firmly, unwrapping the bandage revealing the black spot.

Gibbs jumped away from him as if he had been stung, "Uhhh! The black spot!" he shouted, quickly wiping his hands on his chest, spinning around once to the left, and spitting, "Black spot! Black spot!" he shouted out again. Pintel and Ragetti then began copying his ritual, in complete synchrony.

Jack closed his eyes in frustration, before tilting his head, and looking at them, "My eyesight's as good as ever, just so you know," he told them, making them stop what they were doing.

Tia walked to the back of the hut, pushing aside the cloth door beads, and disappearing into a back room to search for something, "Where are you?" they could hear her saying to herself. Jack edged towards the table, stealing a ring which was sitting beside a silver locket. Tia entered the room again, an object in her hand from the back room, and walked back over to Jack, "Davy Jones cannot make port. Cannot step on land but once every ten years. Land is where you are safe, Jack Sparrow, and so you will carry land wid you…" she told him, handing him a jar of dirt.

Jack looked at the jar in disbelief, "Dirt. This is a jar of dirt," he said to her as if he was speaking to a child.

Tia nodded, not getting his point, "Yes?"

Jack leaned forward slightly, so he was eye-level with her, "Is the… jar of dirt going to help?" he asked her petulantly.

Tia realised she was being mocked, "If you don' want it, give it back," she said, reaching for the jar.

Jack moved back quickly, "No," he said hugging it to him.

She nodded, "Den it helps," she answered, smiling at him.

Hermione jumped back in fright as the snake from before let out a hiss, falling to the floor. Everyone looked at her, and she blushed in embarrassment, "Sorry, it was a snake," she muttered, moving further into the room, coming to a stop next to Jack.

Will sighed, "It seems… we have a need to find the Flying Dutchman," he stated to no one in particular.

Tia sat down at the table, holding several crab shells between her cupped hands, closing her eyes, "A touch… of destiny!" she exclaimed, throwing the crab claws down on the table to see how they would fall. Looking at her map, she pointed to some rocky islands whose positions matched those of the crab claws.

oOoOoOo  
>Hermione was thankful to be back on the Black Pearl. She had felt extremely uncomfortable in Tia's hut, especially with the comment she had made about her. She had been worried she would reveal the truth about her. Jack came to stand next to her, "You okay, lass?" he asked her quietly.<p>

Looking up at him, she nodded slowly, "Yes, I was just a bit… overwhelmed," she answered, looking out at the ocean.

"Yes, Tia can seem a bit much at times," he said, shaking his head. He glanced at her, "You were very quiet. Usually your quick to give your input," he said, curiosity in his tone.

Turning back to him she shrugged, "I don't really know anything that's going on. I just wanted to find you… I didn't expect it would be quite like this," she told him truthfully.

"Why were you looking for me?" he asked her, frowning.

"To accept your proposition," she answered, looking at him as realisation reached his eyes.

Grinning, he placed a hand on her shoulder, "You sure you want to do this, lass?" he asked.

"Aye, captain, I'm sure," she answered, smiling.

Jack smiled gently, "Good, then get to work!" he ordered her.

Hermione nodded, walking off to help the crew make ready to set sail. Jack looked out to the sea, thinking this would be an interesting new arrangement, even if it was bad luck to have a woman on board. He wondered how Gibbs would see it. Highly amused with this thought, he wandered over to Gibbs to give him the good news.

Later that night, the Black Pearl was sailing past some rocks in stormy weather. The Black Pearl crew were looking at the scuttled ships on the rocks, having crashed due to the weather in this area as it was always stormy. Beyond this, they noticed a ship in the water, which wasn't crashed onto the rocks.

"Is that the Flying Dutchman?" Hermione asked Jack, standing next to him. Nodding, he frowned, his face etching in slight fear of the ship.

Will tilted his head as he looked at it, "That's the Flying Dutchman? She doesn't look like much," he said, scrutinising it through the pouring rain.

Jack rolled his eyes, "Neither do you," he muttered, causing Will to turn to him in anger. He held up his hands in surrender, "What I meant was do _not_ underestimate her," he told him, but Will was unconvinced that this is what he was actually meaning.

Giving Gibbs a meaningful glance, Jack elbowed him, "Must've run afoul of the reef," he said, nodding towards the ship.

Jack turned back to Will, "So what's your plan, then?" he asked, curious to know what Will was going to do about it.

Will looked thoughtful, "I row over, search the ship until I find your bloody key," he answered, smiling at him sarcastically.

Jack smiled, "And if there are crewmen?" he asked him.

"I cut down anyone in my path," he answered.

"I like it. Simple, easy to remember," Jack answered, smiling brightly.

Ragetti moved over to them, "Your chariot awaits you, sire! Ha, ha-ha-ha, ha-ha!" he said, giving Will a look which made Hermione feel really uncomfortable about this situation.

"Will, are you sure you have to do this?" she asked him.

Will nodded, and without looking at her, he climbed down the ship, and onto the row-boat. Jack leaned over, looking down at him as he got into the boat, "Hey!" he called, causing Will to look up at him, "If you _do_ happen to get captured, just say Jack Sparrow sent you to settle his debt! Might save your life!" he advised him making Will frown, but he nodded.

Ragetti waved at him, "Bon voyage! Ha-ha-ha!" he said laughing, earning a slap to the back of the head from Pintel.

Jack turned to Marty, "Douse the lamps," he ordered him, and Marty went about doing what he was ordered to do, followed by Cotton, and then Pintel. As the last of the lamps were being doused, Jack could vaguely see the lone figure of Will in a row-boat alone, making his way towards the Flying Dutchman. The rest of the lamps were then doused, and darkness surrounded them.

**A/N: I can certainly say this was not my best chapter. It took me so long to write, and I struggled with writer's block. It may be a few more days until the next update, but I will be getting this story done so please bear with me as I push through this. Thanks for sticking with me :)**


	16. The Return of the Diabolical Master Plan

_**Chapter 1**__**6**__** - **__**The Return of the Diabolical Master Plan**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to PotC nor HP as they remain the properties of their respective owners. I do own the plot though and any additional characters I add. Also, familiar dialogue is from the PotC films which belongs to Disney and the director Gore Verbinski.**_

oOoOoOo

Hermione didn't like this. Sending Will, by himself, over to the Flying Dutchman seemed like an idiotic move to her. She watched him rowing towards the ship, her heart sinking a little more as she realised he would never be the same around her again.

It was times like these that she missed Harry and Ron, wishing she could go back home to the future. She wondered what had happened to the real Cassandra… wondering if she had somehow ended up in the future...

oOoOoOo

Will glanced behind himself, suddenly feeling really uncomfortable as the lamps from the Black Pearl went out one by one. Rowing the oars again, he made his way towards the ship, boarding it with foreboding. He picked up his lantern from his boat, shining it on the wrecked ship so he could see. Walking carefully, he made his way further into the ship.

As he walked, he passed one dead crewman at deck level, propped up behind a net-like rigging. Shaking his head, and unable to get rid of the feeling that something really bad as going to happen, he pushed himself forward, reminding himself he was doing this to save Elizabeth.

He walked up some steps, coming across a wounded sailor, who seemed to be in shock. He was pulling on a pulley desperately, muttering to himself, "...up the..."

"Sailor!" Will called to him.

The sailor continued to mutter to himself, seemingly ignoring Will, "...the stench...capsized..."

"Sailor!" Will tried again, moving slightly closer to the sailor.

"...bring a..." the sailor stopped, turning slightly as if just sensing he had company.

Will was next to him now, "There's no use. You've run aground," he explained to the sailor.

He looked back in horror, "No! Beneath us! Foul breath!" he exclaimed, shaking his head vigorously.

Will jumped as a crew member's body fell from a height above him, splashing into the water. Warily, Will made his way over to investigate, "Hey! Hey!" he shouted out, seeing the man lying face down in the water. Quickly, he reached out and turned the man's body upright, grimacing upon seeing his face. The man's face was gone, in its place was just a puckered piece of skin, bulging outwards.

Suddenly, rising out from the sea near the scuttled ship, was the real Flying Dutchman. The sea creature-like crew were already emerging from the surfaces of the dark ship. Crew members from the Flying Dutchman began attacking the remaining crew on the scuttled ship.

"Down on your marrowbones, and pray," one of the creatures said, as Will engaged in sword-fight against several of the invaders.

Panicking slightly, and confused about what was happening, Will turned around, trying to find something that would help him at least live a little longer. Noticing a barrel, he quickly glanced inside to see oil as the invaders were slowly closing in on him.

Split decision made, Will began dipping his sword into the oil, before quickly using the lantern he had taken with him to set his sword alight. Flaming sword in hand, he began waving it at the men surrounding him, "Get back! Back!" he shouted, before slicing open the stomach of one of them, fish spilling out onto the deck.

Will continued to battle with the invading crew members, but was eventually knocked out by one of them hitting him on the back of his head with a plank of wood, "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha," the laughter faded as Will succumbed to the darkness.

oOoOoOo

Will had woken up to find himself bound, and lined up with the remaining survivors of the scuttled ship. Looking at them, they were all cowering in fear as they sat on the deck along the railing. Will was at the end of the row, there were only five survivors in total. He looked up as a strange man with an octopus for a face stomped aboard with his peg leg, and assumed this must be Davy Jones.

One of the crew members from the Flying Dutchman, Maccus, was standing in front of them, his back was facing them, and Will grimaced at the lobster legs on his back. He nodded his head at Jones, "Five men still alive. The rest have moved on," he advised Jones.

Jones paused, clenching his left hand which was a large lobster claw. He casually lit his pipe in front of one of the cowering crewmen from the scuttled ship, "Do you fear death? Do you fear that dark abyss? All your deeds laid bare. All your sins punished. I can offer you… an escape-uh," he said to him.

"Don't listen to him!" one of the crewman shouted out, and from what Will gathered he was the chaplain.

Jones turned to look at him, walking over and taking the chaplain's head in his claw, "Do you not fear death?" he asked him, tightening his hold a little.

"I'll take my chances, sir," the chaplain answered, his voice shaking.

"To the depths," Jones ordered, and Maccus moved over to him, slitting the chaplain's throat, and two other crew members picked him up, throwing him overboard as Jones laughed.

"Cold blooded!" the crewman next to Will shouted out.

Jones looked at him, "Life is cruel. Why should the afterlife be any _different_? I offer you a choice. Join my crew, and postpone the judgement. One hundred years before the mast. Will ye serve?" he asked him, tilting his head and blinking at him.

The helmsman looked at the ground, before closing his eyes, and looking Jones in the eyes, "I… I will, serve," he answered hesitantly.

Jones smirked, "Grand," he answered, looking pleased, and then his eyes caught sight of Will at the end of the line of crewmen. Jones stomped over to him, "_You_ are neither dead nor dying. What is your purpose here?" he asked him.

"Jack Sparrow sent me to settle his debt," Will answered instantly, wondering if he was about to regret this decision.

Jones laughed bitterly, "Huh! Did he, now? I'm sorely tempted to accept that offer," he answered, before turning to look into the darkness exactly where Jack was looking through a spyglass at them.

Jack's spyglass suddenly went dark, and he lowered it to find Jones was now standing aboard the Black Pearl directly in front of him. Turning slightly, he noticed Cotton, Hermione, and Gibbs had knives held to their throats from the other Flying Dutchman crew members who had teleported over. Jack looked at Jones, smiling nervously, "Oh…" he trailed off knowing he was in trouble.

"Jack!?" Hermione shouted out, but shut up as the knife against her throat was pressed against her skin, and she tried very hard not to swallow.

Jack fought not to turn and look at her, but made a small hand gesture in her direction, "T'is all right, lass," he muttered, hoping this would be enough to calm her slightly.

Jones smirked, "A woman on board, Jack. My thinking is you enjoy being on bad lucks good side," he said as his crew members laughed.

Jack smiled, "Maybe so, but she hasn't caused me bad luck yet, so I like to keep her around," he answered, not really wanting to talk about this so he attempted to change the subject, "So, what brings you over here?" he asked him.

"You have a debt to pay. You've been captain of the Black Pearl for thirteen years. _That_ was our agreement," he answered sternly.

Jack held up a hand, "Technically, I was only captain for two years, then I was viciously mutinied upon," he said thinking this would win his argument.

Jones laughed, "Then you were a poor captain, but a _captain_ nonetheless! Have you not introduced yourself all these years as _Captain_ Jack Sparrow?" he asked him, tilting his head.

Jack sighed, looking down as he nodded slightly, "You have my payment. One soul to serve on your ship is already over there," he told him, pointing towards the scuttled ship at where Will was tied up.

Jones looked behind him, before looking back at Jack, "One soul is not equal to another," he told him.

Jack laughed, feeling like he might win this, "Aha! So we've established my proposal is sound in principle, now we're just haggling over price," he announced, but Jones didn't look as amused.

"Price? Pttt!" Jones spat, looking angry now.

"Just how many souls do you think my soul is worth?" Jack asked, hoping it was not too much.

Jones smirked, "One hundred souls, three days-uh," he ordered, not leaving any room for argument.

Jack smiled, "You're a diamond, mate. Send me back the boy, I'll get started right off," he agreed, moving to leave, but Maccus stepped in front of him, blocking his exit.

Jones shook his head as Jack looked back at him, "I keep the boy. A good-faith payment. That leaves you only ninety-nine more to go. Ha ha! Ha ha! Ha ha!" Jones laughed, while his crew laughed with him.

"No!" Hermione shouted out, tears filling her eyes. She couldn't believe Jack had traded Will the way he had.

Jack looked over at her apologetically, before turning back to Jones fully, "Have you not met Will Turner? He's noble, heroic, _terrific_ soprano. Worth at least four…, maybe three and a half. And did I happen to mention… he's in love. With a girl. Due to be married. Betrothed. Dividing him from her and her from him… would only be half as cruel as actually allowing them be joined in holy matrimony. Aye?" Jack tried to barter.

Jones didn't look impressed, "I keep the boy. Ninety-nine souls-uh. But I wonder, Sparrow, can you live with this? Can you condemn an innocent man, a friend-uh, to a lifetime of servitude, in your name while you roam free?" he asked him.

Jack thought about it for a moment, purposefully avoiding Hermione's disappointed gaze, before answering, "Yep! I'm good with it. Should we seal it in blood? I mean… mm-mm… ink?" he asked, but Jones just grabbed his hand, resulting in a squishing sound, and grimaced.

Jones pulled his hand away, "Three days. Three days," he told him, as Pintel whimpered from the knife being held tighter against his neck.

Jones and his crew left the Black Pearl, returning to the scuttled ship, and Jack looked down at his hand which was covered in slime, a disgusted expression on his face. The black spot which had been present disappeared under the effect of the slime, "Oh, Mr Gibbs," Jack said, still looking at his hand.

Gibbs came over to him, rubbing his neck, "Aye," he asked.

"I feel sullied and unusual," Jack told him, holding his hand up to show him.

Hermione stormed over, "What are you doing?" she asked him.

"Don't worry, lass, Will's soul will not belong to Jones. I just need a few more days," he answered her, giving her an almost pleading expression.

Hermione huffed, but nodded, "Well, I suppose you have a plan?" she asked him.

"How do you intend to harvest these ninety-nine souls in three days?" Gibbs asked him.

Jack looked between them, "Fortunately, he was mum as the condition in which these souls need be," he told them.

Gibbs smiled, realising his meaning, "Ah… Tortuga!" he said.

"Tortuga?" Hermione asked him.

Jack smiled at her, "Tortuga."

Hermione hoped that by harvesting souls, this didn't mean Jack would have to cause mass murders to free his own soul… She realised she would just have to wait and see what would happen when they reached Tortuga. At the end of the day, she had agreed to Jack's proposition and as he was now her captain, she couldn't very well speak out against him… could she? Would he even listen to her reasoning?

OooOoOo

A long line of men were lining up by the well in Tortuga. As they reached the well, they were being tied up and dunked into the water to sober them up. One man was pulled back up, spouting water from his mouth.

Hermione walked around the men, looking at them all in disgust. She walked over to Jack, "So this is your masterful plan? Half-drown men, and then present them to Davy Jones?" she asked him, not knowing what to think of Jack anymore. She realised most men or woman would do anything to live, but she felt this was going too far.

Jack nodded, "This is the only way… if I want to keep my soul," he answered her, before continuing, "I know it's not the most… decent way of doing things, but I'm not a decent man. I'm a pirate," he told her, looking at her.

Hermione nodded, sighing slightly, "Yes, you are," she said, sitting on the wall beside him as she watched.

Eventually, all the men were brought back into the tavern, and they were lined up in front of a table where Gibbs, Hermione, and Jack were sitting. The tavern was crowded with patrons, glass bottles were being shot off people's heads for entertainment, and a duo of musicians were playing a guitar and an accordion. Gibbs looked up as one of the men stepped forward to the table, "And what makes you think you're worthy to crew the Black Pearl?" he asked him.

The man was elderly, and Hermione was shocked he would even be considered. He smirked showing the gaps from where his teeth were missing, "Truth be told, I never sailed a day in me life. I figure I should get out and see the world while I'm still young," he answered, his speech slurred.

Gibbs nodded, "You'll do. Make your mark. Next!"

"Are you mad?" Hermione asked him, looking at the elderly man as he walked away, "He can barely walk, let alone do any real work," she told him.

"Keep in mind, lass, we are only picking people who are close to deaths door or want to die. We won't take on anyone who is not in those categories," Jack assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder gently. This speech comforted her slightly. So Jack was not a complete monster, but she was still uncomfortable with this.

A younger man came to stand in front of them, looking very jilted, "My wife ran off with my dog. And I'm drunk for a month. And I don't give a ass rat's if I live or die," he told them.

Gibbs smiled, "Perfect! Next!" he said.

Another man limped forward, "Me have one arm, 'n' a bum leg," he told them.

Gibbs looked down at the man's mangled leg, "It's the crow's nest for you," he told him, and the man nodded, limping away.

Jack stood up, moving to the wall near to the table, sitting in a chair within earshot of Gibbs. Hermione watched him, he had been really quiet for the last few days. She understood now that this was not something he had been planning on doing. She watched as he took out his compass, shaking it and opening it. He tapped it with his finger, trying to make it work. She stood up, moving over to him as he muttered, "I know what I want," and Hermione looked over his shoulder to see the compass needle turn in her direction. She frowned in confusion, before moving to sit across from him, "Yes, lass?" he asked.

"Nothing, just came to see if you were okay," she muttered, watching as he snapped the compass closed again.

"Next!" they heard Gibbs shout.

"I'm fine, lass," Jack answered, looking down as she reached her hand across the table, placing it on top of his. He looked back up at her, raising his eyebrows, and she smiled.

"Yes?" Gibbs was saying to the next candidate.

"Ever since I was a little lad, I've always wanted to sail the seas. Forever," he answered, his expression becoming dreamy.

"I can understand that," Jack muttered to himself with a smile, "I was the same," he told Hermione and her smile widened.

"Sooner than you think. Sign the roster," Gibbs told the candidate, pushing a piece of paper towards him.

The man signed the roster before looking back at Gibbs, "Thanks very much," he said happily before bounding off to where the others were standing.

Jack shook his head, giving Hermione's hand a gentle squeeze before turning to Gibbs, "How we doing?" he asked him.

Gibbs turned to him, raising his eyebrow slightly at seeing their joined hands, "Including those four? That gives us…" he trailed off, looking down at the roster, "…four!" he told him, before gesturing for the next candidate to come forward, "And what's _your_ story?" he asked the man who looked like his life really was over.

The man smiled, "My story… it's exactly the same as your story, just one chapter behind. I chased a man across the Seven Seas. The pursuit cost me my crew, my commission, and my life," he answered, shifting his body weight to his other foot.

Gibbs frowned, looking at the man properly, "Commodore?" he asked him.

Norrington shook his head, "No, not anymore, weren't you _listening_? I nearly had you all, off Tripoli. I would have, if not for the… hurricane," he told them.

Gibbs shook his head, "Lord. You didn't try to sail through it?" he asked him.

Norrington looked at him, choosing not to answer that, "So do I make your crew, or not? You haven't said where you're going. Somewhere _nice_!" he said, clasping his hands together, and pulled out a pistol.

"Oh no…" Hermione whispered, pulling out her wand.

The music around them stopped then as everyone stared at the altercation. Jack grabbed a branch from a nearby vase, carrying it in front of his face, and attempted to walk out of the tavern, unseen. Norrington raised his hands, "So am I _worthy_ to serve under Captain Jack Sparrow?" he asked loudly, before spotting Jack sneaking off behind him, and pointed his pistol at him, "Or should I just kill you now?" he said, cocking his pistol, and Jack ducked back and forth behind both sides of the pot, trying to avoid the aim of Norrington's pistol, but failed.

Jack sighed, coming out and raising his hands, "You're hired," he agreed.

Norrington lowered his pistol slightly, looking at it, "Sorry. Old habits and all that," he told him with a smirk, raising his pistol again which was still cocked.

A man turned to him, "Easy, sonny!" he said as another man tried to deflect Norrington's pistol upwards as it fired. The ball ricochetted of the chandelier, breaking a man's bottle just as he was drinking from it. The man looked at his broken bottle angrily before slugging the man next to him. The music began playing again as a brawl ensued. One man was swinging from the chandelier as women joined in the fighting, and bottles were being thrown against the wall.

Jack looked around at the chaos before turning to his companions, "Time to go?"

Gibbs nodded, standing up, "Aye!"

The fighting escalated into sword-fighting, and as the three of them moved towards the stairs. Someone threw a bottle against the wall above the stairs, and Jack grabbed Hermione, ducking as it smashed above their heads. They sprinted up the stairs, trading hats a few times along the way until Jack got his own back, "Thanks, mate," he said, slapping the man on his shoulder, making him fall backwards off the balcony as Hermione looked over to see if the man was okay. Jack halted along with the others to let two men carrying another man proceed towards the edge of the balcony. They looked at him, "Carry on," he said to them, smiling as he gestured to the balcony.

"Heave!" the men said, throwing the man they were carrying off the balcony, and the companions continued on their way.

The music stopped again as Norrington picked up a bottle in his left hand, holding it threateningly, "Come on, men! Who wants some? Form an orderly line, I'll have you all one by one. Come on, who's first?" he shouted at the men who were closing in on him.

From behind him, someone grabbed the bottle from his hand, smashing it over his head and knocking him out, "I just wanted the pleasure of doing that myself!" they shouted as the crowd began to cheer, holding their mugs up in a toast. The men picked Norrington up, taking him outside where they threw him in the mud with some pigs, and the crowd then left except the person who had hit him over the head with the bottle. They reached up to take off their hat, revealing it to be Elizabeth, and she turned Norrington over onto his back, "James Norrington. What has the world done to you?" she whispered, looking down at the unconscious man.

At the door of the tavern, unbeknownst to Elizabeth, Mercer was observing them.

OooOoOo

Back on the Flying Dutchman, Jones was playing his pipe organ with his tentacles, steam was bellowing out of the pipes. The crew were on the deck, slaving away and pulling rhythmically on a rope, "Heave! Heave! Heave! Heave! Heave! Heave!" they were shouting, in time to the organ music.

Bo'sun was walking amongst them, issuing orders to Will, "Secure the mast tackle, Mister Turner! Step to it! Tight!"

Will made to grab a rope, but another man also went to grab the rope. Will turned to him, "Step aside!" he said, trying to pull the rope away.

Bo'sun shouted out to the men, "Regain yourselves!" he then turned to Will and the other man, "Mind yourself!" he said. The other man looked at Will, his expression becoming stunned and he let go of the rope. Will attempted to grab the sliding rope, but it dragged him across the deck. The hoisted cannon crashed onto the deck, and the organ music stopped playing. Bo'sun moved over to him along with some other crew members, "Haul that weevil to his feet!" he ordered them as they grabbed Will, hauling him to his feet, and presented him to Bo'sun, "Five lashes to remind you… to stay on 'em!" he shouted, nodding to another man with a whip.

The man who had been fighting over the rope with Will stepped forward, "No!" he shouted, standing in front of Will.

The crew went silent as they watched, and Bo'sun took a step towards the man dangerously, "Impeding me in my duties. You'll share the punishment," he warned him.

The man stood his ground, "I'll take it all!" he answered.

Jones appeared then, stomping onto the deck, "Will you now? And what would prompt such an act of charity?" he asked the man.

He looked at Will who was looking at him in confusion, "My son. He's my son," he answered, lowering his head as realisation dawned on Will.

Jones laughed cruelly at this answer, "What fortuitous circumstance be this! Five lashes be owed. I believe it is," he said as the other members of the crew laughed. Jones took the whip from Bo'sun before turning and handing it to the man, his tentacle curling around the shaft, "The cat's out of the bag, Mister Turner. Your issue will feel its sting be it the Bo'sun's hand, by your own," he said, holding it out to the man.

"Good ol' Bootstrap, give 'im a real lashing!" one of the crew members said, laughing. Bootstrap reluctantly took the whip as two crewmen tore Will's shirt off, exposing his bare back. Bootstrap had tears filling his eyes as he raised the whip and began lashing Will five times as ordered.

The crew then grabbed Will, dragging him across the deck where he was tossed into a lower part of the deck which was partially filled with water. Will stood up as another shirt was thrown to him, "You had it easy, boy!" Bo'sun laughed before going back up topside.

Bootstrap walked into the lower deck then, moving over to help Will who was putting the other shirt on. He placed a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged him off angrily, "I don't need your help!" he shouted.

Bootstrap stepped back, lowering his head in shame, "The Bo'sun prides himself on cleaving flesh from bone with every swing!" he argued back, looking back at him.

Will turned to him, frowning, "So I'm to understand what _you_ did was an act of compassion?" he asked, not sure what to believe.

Bootstrap nodded, "Yes…" he answered.

Bootstrap followed Will into the interior of the ship. Crew member Wyvern was on their right, encrusted into the interior side of the hull, standing up. Bootstrap looked over at him before looking at Will, "Once you've sworn an oath to the Dutchman, there's no leaving it. Not until your debt is paid," Bootstrap explained to him, looking worried for his son.

Will turned to look at him, "I've sworn no oath," he told him.

Bootstrap grasped his shoulders, "Then you must get away," he told him.

Will shook his head, "Not until I find this," he said pulling out the picture and showing it to him, "The key."

At the mention of the key, Wyvern's eyes opened in the coral-encrusted wall. As he was part of the wall, he broke away from it, leaving his brains behind, "The deadman's chest," he revealed, looking at the picture.

Will looked at him, "What do you know of this?" he asked him.

"Open the chest with the key, and stab the heart. No-no-no-no. Don't stab the heart. The Dutchman needs a living heart, or there'll be no captain. And if there's no captain, there's no one to have the key," he said being contradictory.

Will nodded, "So the captain has the key," Will deduced, watching as the Wyvern retracted his head back into the wall, having said too much already. Will moved over to him, "Where _is_ the key?" he asked him.

The Wyvern opened his eyes, "Hidden," he muttered.

Will groaned slightly, "Where is the chest?" he asked him.

"Hidden," was the answer, and Will realised he was going to get nowhere further with his line of questioning as the Wyvern closed his eyes, falling silent.

OooOoOo

The Black Pearl was at the dock in Tortuga, and the crew was busy loading fruit and livestock. Jack, Gibbs, and Hermione were walking towards the ship together, talking quietly, as Elizabeth approached them from behind, still dressed as a man, "Captain Sparrow!" she shouted to them in a deep voice.

Jack turned around, looking at her suspiciously, "Come to join me crew, lad? Welcome aboard," he said, turning to carry on walking as Hermione held back slightly, looking at the person and trying to see their face beneath the hat.

"I'm here to find the man I love," she said, lowering her head slightly so Cassandra wouldn't see who she was. She was itching to hug her, she hadn't seen her sister in a while, not since they left Port Royal, and she had been worried about her.

Jack turned back to her with a charming smile, "I'm deeply flattered, son, but my first and only love is the sea," he told her, as Hermione glanced at him for a moment before looking down at the ground unsure as to why these words affected her.

Norrington appeared behind her and went to speak, but ended up vomiting over the side of the dock into the water. Elizabeth rubbed his back, turning back to Jack, "Meaning William Turner, Captain Sparrow," she told him.

Jack's eyes widened, "Elizabeth," he said, before quickly turning to Gibbs, "Hide the rum," he said and Gibbs took the bottle that Jack handed him, before walking quickly up the boarding plank behind them.

Hermione ran over to her, "Elizabeth! Are you okay? How did you escape?" she asked her.

"Father helped me escape," she told her, giving her a hug.

Jack walked over to them, scrutinising Elizabeth, "You know, these clothes do not flatter you at all. It should be a dress or nothing. I happen to have no dress in my cabin," he told her, waggling his eyebrows, and Hermione suddenly felt annoyed, but she still didn't know why.

Elizabeth sighed in exasperation, "Jack. I know Will came to find you. Where is he?" she asked him.

Jack held a hand to his heart, "Darling, I am truly unhappy to have to tell you this but… through an unfortunate and _entirely_ unforeseeable series of circumstances that have nothing whatsoever to do with me, poor William has been press-ganged into Davy Jones' crew," he told her, feigning a sorrowful expression which had Hermione glaring at him.

"Davy Jones?" Elizabeth asked him.

"Elizabeth don't list-" Hermione was cut off by Jack.

"That's exactly what happened," he said forcefully, giving Hermione a look which shut her up.

Elizabeth shook her head, "So… Davy Jones?" she repeated, looking at Jack for answers.

Norrington vomited over the side again before spitting out the remains and turned to them, "Oh, please. The captain of the Flying Dutchman," he slurred, trying not to throw up again.

Jack looked at him, "You look bloody awful. What are you doing here?" he asked him curiously.

"You _hired_ me. I can't help it if your standards are lax," Norrington answered, shaking his head.

"You _smell_ funny," Jack retorted, sticking out his tongue.

Elizabeth rubbed her temples in annoyance, "Jack. All I want is to find Will," she told him.

Jack sidled up to her, smiling, "Are you certain? Is that what you really want most?" he asked her, looking her dead in the eyes.

"'Course," she answered, feeling a little nervous.

Jack grinned at her, "Because I would think, you'd want to find a way to _save_ Will the most," he told her, raising his eyebrows.

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed in thought, "And you have a way of doing that?" she asked him, prompting him to continue.

Jack nodded, "Well, there is a chest…" he began.

Norrington scoffed, "Oh, dear," he muttered.

Jack ignored him, "A chest of unknown size and origin," he explained to her.

"Is this the chest which was being discussed in Tia Dalmia's hut?" Hermione asked him.

Pintel and Ragetti chose that moment to walk by, carrying a large crate of bottles between them. Overhearing the conversation, they stopped and Pintel said, "What contains the still-beating heart o' Davy Jones."

Jack nodded, "And whoever possesses that chest possesses the leverage to command Jones to do whatever it is he or she wants, including… saving brave William from his grim fate," he finished, clapping his hands together as if this idea was pure genius.

Hermione sighed, "Well, how do we find this chest then, Jack?" she asked him, leaning against the railing and crossing her arms.

Norrington looked at her, "You don't actually believe him, do you?" he asked in disbelief.

Hermione chuckled slightly, "Of course I do. As a member of Jack's crew, I have seen Davy Jones with my own eyes, and I have seen the Flying Dutchman," she answered, as Jack smiled at her support.

Elizabeth looked between them angrily, "You're a member of his crew!?" she shouted in disbelief, before turning on Jack, "You release her right this instant! I will have no sister of mine being commanded by you!" she shouted, hitting Jack's arms angrily.

"Calm down! Elizabeth, calm down!" Hermione shouted, grabbing her arms and pulling her away from Jack.

"I want an explanation," she demanded, looking at Hermione sternly.

"It was my choice. I am old enough to make my own choices. Jack gave me the proposition on the way back to Port Royal after the fiasco with Barbossa. I initially said no, but realised I didn't want to be stuck in Port Royal. It's not the life for me. After that adventure, I realised I wanted more… So when I caught up with Jack…" she paused as she looked at him, giving him a small smile, "…I spoke to him, and agreed to his proposition, and I have never been happier," she finished, even though she felt she didn't need to explain herself to Elizabeth seeing as they were not actually related.

Elizabeth's expression softened, "It just worries me. Growing up, the fascination with pirates and danger was my thing. You were always the responsible one, so this has just come as a little bit of a shock," she told her, taking her hands gently. She turned on Jack, "You better take care of her or so help me-!" he cut her off.

Hermione sighed, remembering that Elizabeth had already been told she wasn't her sister, and wondered if she had forgotten this. She pulled away from Elizabeth, "Remember, Governor Swann told you the truth... I'm not your sister," she reminded her, and resignation came to Elizabeth's eyes.

"I know... but I've come to know you and recognise you as if you were Cassandra, and I feel responsible for you," she answered, taking her hands gently. Hermione nodded in understanding as Elizabeth turned on Jack, "You better take care of her or so help me-!" he cut her off.

"I promise you, Hermione will come to know harm while these lungs have air," he told her, crossing his heart.

Elizabeth calmed down a little more at these words, but she was still uncomfortable with her being in the same vicinity as Jack, let alone being a member of his crew even if she wasn't her real sister. She sighed, "How do we find it?" she asked them, reverting back to their previous conversation.

Jack and Hermione looked at each other in confusion, "Find what?" they both asked making them both look at each other embarrassedly before looking away.

Elizabeth rubbed her temples again, "The chest?" she said, glancing between them.

Jack took out his compass, "With this. My Compass… is unique," he revealed, smiling down at his compass until the needle began pointing towards Hermione again so he snapped it shut quickly.

Norrington laughed, "'Unique' here having the meaning of broken," he mocked, before turning and vomiting over the side of the dock again.

Jack frowned at him, "True enough. This Compass does not point north," he said as if this should be obvious.

Hermione looked at the compass, "I've always been curious about that since you first used it to find the Isle de Muerta. So, where does it point exactly?" he asked her.

Jack looked at her, his expression softening, "It points to the thing you want most in this world," he answered gently, his eyes not leaving hers.

Elizabeth smacked his arm, breaking the moment, "Oh Jack! Are you telling the truth?" she shouted, getting annoyed at him.

Jack raised his hands in surrender, "Every word, love. And what you want most in this world is to find the chest of Davy Jones, is it not?" he asked her.

"To save Will?" she asked him, glancing at the compass.

Jack nodded, "By finding the chest of Davy Jones," he said, handing the compass to Elizabeth. He then drew away quickly so as not to influence it as she consulted it. For her, the dial spun around before clearly pointing in a specific direction. Jack slowly moved over, rising up to peer at the face of the compass, "Mr Gibbs!" he called.

Gibbs appeared at the top of the boarding plank, "Cap'n?" he asked, awaiting orders.

Jack smiled, "We have our heading," he told him.

Gibbs sighed in relief, "Finally! Cast off those lines, weigh anchor, and prow that canvas!" he shouted, giving orders to the crew.

Jack turned back to Elizabeth, "Miss Swann," he said, gesturing for her to board the Black Pearl which she did.

Norrington followed her on as Pintel smirked at him, "Welcome to the crew, former Commodore!" he chuckled as the goat he was tying up neighed.

Jack turned to Hermione, "Hermione?" he called to where she was leaning on the railing.

She turned to him, "Sorry, I was just thinking," she told him, before moving over to stand next to him.

He placed a hand on her shoulder gently, "Plenty of time to do that on the way," he told her, placing a hand under her chin so she would look at him, and she smiled at him.

From the deck, Elizabeth watched them… she did not like the closeness that seemed to have sprung up between Jack and Hermione. She didn't trust Jack, and she knew if Hermione was anything like Cassandra then she had always been a hopeless romantic so she decided to put it to the back of her mind… for the moment.


	17. Upon the Myriad Paths of Pirates

_**Chapter **__**17**__** - **__**Upon the Myriad Paths of Pirates  
><strong>__**Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to PotC nor HP as they remain the properties of their respective owners. I do own the plot though and any additional characters I add. Also, familiar dialogue is from the PotC films which belongs to Disney and the director Gore Verbinski.**_

_**A/N: Hello guys :) I am aiming to get this story finished as soon as possible as I want to start concentrating on my novel and other fan fictions I am working on. Plus this has been going on for a long time, and I am really sorry for the wait. Thanks to everyone who has stuck by me with this.**_

_**I really hope you enjoy this next chapter.**_

Ooooooooo

Hermione was sitting on the steps leading up to where Jack was at the wheel. They were sailing in shallow waters, and she could see he was worried. She looked up as Elizabeth came to sit next to her, giving her a curious sideways glance, "You still have not told me who you are..." she trailed off.

Hermione sighed, she knew Elizabeth would ask her eventually. She turned to her, hoping she would take it as well as Jack had at least, "As Governor Swann mentioned, I am not your sister. I told you my real name, and I am..." she paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, "I'm a witch… from the future. I came to be here under strange circumstances beyond my control," she told her, not wanting to look at her for fear of what she would see.

Elizabeth was silent for a moment before she laughed slightly, making Hermione look at her in shock, "Wow, that's a lot to take in, but I believe you. I found it strange that you did not remember anything at all, but now that I look at you, I can see the differences between you and Cassandra. She is very girly and never would have gallivanted off with pirates… She was always the sensible one," Elizabeth told her, giving her a small smile. Her smile trailed off, "So you're a witch?" she asked, and Hermione could hear the slight fear in her tone.

"I am, but I would never hurt any of you. You have all been good to me. I have no reason to use my magic against you or anyone who has helped me," Hermione answered, trying to reassure her, and she noticed Elizabeth's expression relaxed.

"That is good to know," she said with a smile before continuing, "I would be careful as to who you tell though as witchcraft is revered as an abomination in this time. You could be hanged or burnt at the stake if you are found out," she told her gently.

Hermione nodded, "I know, I've only told you, Will, Jack, and your father. Nobody else knows… well except for Barbossa, but he's dead," she answered and Elizabeth nodded.

"Father won't say anything to anyone so you're safe. He would never condemn someone if all they are doing is good, and with how much help you've been in rescuing me, helping Will, and the Navy, he wouldn't give up your secret," she said quietly, watching as Gibbs ran up the stairs towards Jack, whispering something to him and receiving a short nod.

Hermione nodded, "Will hates me now, though," she answered, placing her head in her arms.

Elizabeth frowned, "Really? I never thought Will would be one to judge," she answered, shaking her head before continuing, "Then again, Will has always been sceptical about anything unnatural or beyond his control. He will lighten up, he probably just needs time to process this," she reassured her.

"Maybe," Hermione answered, sighing.

They fell into a comfortable silence until Elizabeth broke it, "Do you know what has become of Cassandra?" she asked timidly as if afraid of the answer.

Hermione shook her head, "I honestly don't know. For all I know she could be in the same situation as me in the future, or she is still at school in England. Though if that were true, I imagine she would have returned for your wedding," Hermione mused, hoping the girl was safe.

Elizabeth smiled slightly, "With any hope she has taken your place in the future..." she trailed off as Hermione looked at her in confusion.

"Why do you say that?" she asked curiously.

Elizabeth smiled at her, "She'll be safe," she answered, and Hermione nodded.

"Yes, she will be. Safer than here anyway. My friends in the future will look out for her," Hermione told her, hoping this were true if Cassandra has been transported into the future.

Oooooooooo

Back in Port Royal, Beckett and Mercer were in a room with Governor Swann, whose hand had been put in shackles. Mercer was looking through a mounted telescope which looked out on the waters surrounding Port Royal. Beckett turned to Swann, "There's something to knowing the exact shape of the world and one's place in it, don't you agree?" he asked him, not waiting for an answer before continuing, "I had you brought here because I thought you'd be interested in the whereabouts of your daughter," he revealed as Swann's eyes widened.

"Where?" Swann asked, his throat dry causing him to cough.

Mercer continued to look through the telescope, but he was the one who answered, "Most recently seen on the island of Tortuga, then left, in the company of a known pirate, Jack Sparrow, _and_ other fugitives from justice," he answered, turning towards Swann.

"Yes, your other daughter, Cassandra Swann was it? She was looking very close to Jack, I have heard," he told him, a glint in his eye in the hopes this would rile Swann up a bit.

Swann shook his head, "As long as she is safe, if he is looking out for her then I cannot judge," he answered, not willing to give Beckett the benefit of seeing if this bothered him or not.

Beckett looked surprised at his answer, "Oh, so you would condone your daughter being with a pirate, then? The daughter of a Governor, running away and falling in love with a renowned pirate who has terrorised the seas… It is a rather romantic notion..." he trailed off for a moment, before moving towards Swann and kneeling down in front of him, "Would you not agree, Governor? Would you really allow this type of union?" he asked him quietly.

Swann chose not to answer, and was instead saved by Mercer, "Should be continue, sir?" he asked Beckett.

Beckett stood back up, nodded at Mercer, "Yes, lets," he said, moving over to the table and picking up a sword, before turning back to Swann, "The company they are with also includes the previous owner of this sword... I believe. Our ships are in pursuit and justice will be dispensed by cannonade and cutlass, and all manner of remorseless pieces of metal. I personally find it distasteful to even contemplate the horror facing all those on board," he told him with a small smile as Swann's eyes widened at this, "Your authority as governor, your influence in London, and your loyalty to the East India Trading Company," he paused as Swann shook his head sadly, not wanting any harm to come to Elizabeth or Hermione, "Shall I remove these shackles?" he asked Swann who nodded after a few moments, and Mercer moved over to him, removing the shackles, "So you see, Mercer, every man has a price he will willingly accept. Even for what he hopes never to sell," he finished to which Mercer nodded as they both looked at Swann who was ready to succumb to whatever it was they wanted him to do.

Oooooooooooooo

On the Flying Dutchman, three crewmen were playing a game at a table with dice. Organ music floated in the air around, a normal sound, coming from the captain's quarters. Maccus was one of those playing the dice came, and he slammed his cup and dice down on the table before looking at the others, "I wager... ten years," he said.

Koleniko smirked, "I'll match ten years," he said, slamming his own cup down on the table.

Greenbeard nodded, following suit, "Agreed."

Will and Bootstrap emerged from below deck then, moving over to the crew members. Will looked on in curiosity, "Liars Dice," Bootstrap said in answer to Will's unasked question. Bootstrap turned to look at him, "Wondering how it's played?" he asked him.

Will tilted his head slightly as he watched what was happening on the table, "I understand. It's a game of deception. Your bet includes all the dice, not just your own," he deduced, before looking at Bootstrap curiously, "What are they wagering?" he asked him.

Bootstrap shrugged, "Oh, the only thing we have. Years of service," he answered.

Will nodded, "So any crewman can be challenged?" he asked him thoughtfully.

Bootstrap thought for a moment before nodding, "Aye. Anyone," he answered, looking at him wondering what he was planning.

Will thought about it for a moment before saying, "I challenge Davy Jones."

Everything around him stopped, and immediately the organ music in the background ceased. Jones' peg-leg was heard then, thumping louder and louder as he approached. With each thump of his footstep, gooseneck barnacles retracted and the crew members began laughing as Davy Jones made his appearance, looking at Will in amusement, "I accept that-uh," he said, sitting down at the gambling table, looking up at Will, "The stakes?" he asked him.

"My soul. An eternity of servitude," he answered, not missing a beat.

Bootstrap shook his head, "No..." he whispered, looking at Will worriedly.

Jones smirked, "Against?" he asked him.

Will took out the picture of the key, "I want this," he answered, throwing the picture down on the table.

Using his crab claws, Jones picked up the picture and looked at it in shock, "How do you know of the key?" he asked him curiously.

Will smiled slightly, "That's not part of the game, is it?" he answered, sitting down at the table, "You can still walk away," he said, raising his eyebrows at Jones.

One of Jones' tentacles moved towards his heart, pulling the key from where it had been resting against his chest to display it to Will, before the tentacle moved the key back. The two slammed there cups down on the table, just as a third joined them, and Jones looked at Bootstrap to see him sitting down, "What's this?" he asked him amusedly.

Bootstrap looked at him, "I'm in. Thirty years wager," he staked.

Will shook his head, "No! Don't do this," he said to him.

Bootstrap looked at him, "The die is cast. I bid three twos," he said, before turning back to Jones, "It's your bid, captain," he said.

Davy smirked, "Four fours," he said.

"Four fives," Will said.

"Six threes," Bootstrap said.

"Seven fives-uh," Jones said.

"Eight fives," Will said.

Jones laughed, "Welcome to the crew, liar," he said gleefully, looking at Will.

Bootstrap slammed his hand down on the table, "Twelve fives!" he shouted out making Will and Jones look at him, "Twelve fives… call me a liar, or up the bet," he said to Jones.

Jones looked from the cup in front of Bootstrap to his face before answering, "And be called a liar myself for my trouble? Bootstrap Bill, you're a liar and you will spend an eternity on this ship! Master Turner, feel free to go ashore... the very next time we make port!" he laughed, standing up and walking away followed by his crew.

Will watched them leave, feeling disheartened by this as he looked at Bootstrap, "Fool. Why did you do that?" he asked him.

Bootstrap shook his head, "I couldn't let you lose," he answered him, thinking this would be obvious.

Will sighed, sitting down next to him, "It was never about winning, or losing," he told him.

Bootstrap's eyes widened in realisation, "The key… you just wanted to know where it was..." he said as Will nodded, and he closed his eyes realising what he had done.

Oooooooooo

That night, Will emerged from a hatch on the deck, sneaking past one of the crew on the deck, who was sleeping with a bottle in his hand. He quietly entered the captain's quarters, taking in Jones' sleeping form on the organ, snoring lightly.

Will sneaked up behind him, grabbing a nearby quill pen, and used it to gently lift one of Jones' tentacles. One of the tentacles accidentally fell on an organ key, and Jones' eyes opened slightly almost waking up, but his eyes closed again and his snoring continued.

Will let out a breath quietly as the falling tentacle set off a locket on top of the organ which began playing a song. Will held one of the staves in his mouth, while he lifted the tentacles again, and finally removed the key and replaced it with the drawing he had.

He quietly made his way back out onto the deck to where Bootstrap was waiting and getting a longboat ready for him. He walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Bootstrap turned to him with a small smile, "It was always in my blood to die at sea, but it was not a fate I ever wanted for you," he told him.

Will lowered his head, before looking back at him, "It's not a fate you had to choose for yourself, either," he told him.

Bootstrap laughed bitterly, "I could say I did what I had to when I left you to go pirating, but it would taste a lie to say it wasn't what I wanted. You owe me nothing," he told him, shaking his head slowly.

They stood in silence for a moment before Will looked at him, "They'll know you helped me," he said quietly.

Bootstrap laughed cynically, "What more can they do to me?" he asked him.

Will nodded at this statement, there really was nothing worse they could do to Bootstrap so instead he said, "I take this with a promise. I'll find a way to sever Jones' hold on you. And not rest until this blade pierces his heart. I will not abandon you. I promise," Will was sincere, looking Bootstrap in his eyes before giving him a quick hug. He then climbed down the side of the ship, and set out alone in the longboat praying his father would be okay.

Ooooooooooooo

Back on the Black Pearl, the crew were scrubbing the deck, while Jack, Hermione, Elizabeth, and Gibbs were in the captains quarters. Elizabeth was telling them about what Will was told to do, and showed them the letters, "Beckett!" Gibbs exclaimed, looking at them.

"Yes, they're signed, Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company," Elizabeth told them.

"So what does that mean exactly?" Hermione asked, looking at Jack for a moment as he let out a noise.

"Will was working for Beckett, and never said a word," Gibbs answered, looking at Jack.

"Agh," Jack muttered, looking at his compass which was closed.

"So Beckett wants the compass?" Hermione asked them.

Gibbs nodded, "Only one reason for that," he surmised, looking at Jack.

Jack nodded, "Of course. He wants the chest," Jack answered, tying his compass on his belt.

"You mean the chest Tia Dalmia mentioned?" Hermione asked him to which she received a nod.

Elizabeth nodded in agreement to this statement, "Yes, he did say something about a chest," she said, looking at the compass.

"If the company controls the chest, they control the sea," Gibbs told them.

"And that's a bad thing," Hermione said to nods of agreement from Jack and Gibbs.

"A truly discomforting notion, love," Jack said, placing a hand on her shoulder gently.

"And bad. Bad for every mother's son what calls himself a pirate. I think there's a bit more speed to be coaxed from these sails," he said before leaving the room and addressing the crew, "Brace the foreyard!" he shouted and the crew ran about getting to work.

Jack, from where he was still standing next to Hermione with his hand rested on her shoulder, looked at Elizabeth, "Might I inquire how as to how you came by these?" he asked, picking up the letters and waving them at her.

Elizabeth smirked, "Persuasion," she answered.

"Friendly?" he asked her.

"Decidedly not," she answered.

Jack moved away from Hermione, looking at the letters, "William strikes a deal for these and upholds it with honour," he stated, before turning to look at Elizabeth, "Yet you're the one standing here with the prize," he added with a smile, and then he laughed slightly as he looked at the letters again, "Full pardon, commission as a privateer on behalf of England and the East India Trading Company. As if I could be bought for such a low price," he told her, tucking the letters into his coat. He took a gentle hold of Hermione's arm as they made to leave the room.

Elizabeth stopped them, "Jack, the letters, give them back," she said, holding out her hand.

Hermione looked up at Jack with raised eyebrows as he answered, "No. Persuade me," he said, smirking at her.

"You do know Will taught me how handle a sword," she stated as if this would help.

Jack smiled, glancing at Hermione for a moment before looking back at Elizabeth, "As I said... Persuade me," he told her.

Elizabeth, giving up, walked away in frustration, leaning on the ship's railing as Jack made an odd grunting noise before leading Hermione away to the steps leading up to the wheel. Elizabeth watched them go, wondering for a moment if there was something going on between the pirate and Hermione as Norrington walked over to her, "It's a curious thing. There was a time when I would've given anything for you to look like that while thinking about me," he said, leaning against the railing.

Elizabeth looked at him in confusion, "I don't know what you mean," she said innocently.

"Oh, I think you do," he answered, looking over at Jack and Hermione who were talking quietly.

"Oh, don't be absurd. I trust him, that's all," Elizabeth answered, glancing over at them, "In any case, it seems Jack only has eyes for one person, and she is over there with him," she told him.

Norrington nodded slowly, seeing this himself, "Yes, it seems that way, but then again Sparrow is a devious pirate. He may want you both," he told her, receiving a look of disgust in response before continuing, "So you never wondered how your _latest_ fiancé ended up on the Flying Dutchman in the first place?" he asked her, making her look at him in curiosity.

Oooooooooooo

Will had been found by a ship which came upon him, and he was taken aboard. He found out this was the Edinburgh Trader, "Strange thing to come upon a longboat so far out in open waters," Bellamy said to him as he was taken into the captain's cabin.

Will nodded, looking back out at the sea behind them, "Just put as many leagues behind us as you can. As fast as you can," he told them to which he received a frown from Bellamy.

"And what are we running from?" he asked him curiously.

Will went to answer, but noticed Elizabeth's wedding dress on a chair in the corner near the window, "That dress. Where did you get it?" he asked them hoping Elizabeth was okay.

Bellamy stood from his seat, walking over towards the dress, "It was found aboard the ship. The crew it thought it was a spirit bringing some omen of ill fate," he told him, shrugging.

Will smiled slightly, knowing Elizabeth must have been on the ship and sneaked transport or something, "That's foolish," he answered.

The quartermaster nodded, "Oh, yes. Proceededly foolish," he said with a wide smile.

"It brought good fortune! The spirit told us... Put in at Tortuga, and we made a nice bit of profit there," he explained looking at the dress.

Bellamy smiled, "Off the books, of course," he told him with a wink.

Will smiled, "I imagine... some of your crew may have jumped ship there," he told him to which Bellamy frowned slightly.

"Why do you ask?" he enquired curiously.

Before Will could answer, one of the sailors came into the cabin, "Captain, a ship's been spotted," he reported, pointing out to the sea.

"Colours?" Bellamy asked him, following him out.

"She isn't flyin' any," he answered as they moved over to the railing and looked out.

"Pirates!" Bellamy shouted out, looking at the ship.

Will looked at the ship, "Or worse," he muttered worriedly.

Ooooooooooooo

Jones was standing on the deck of the Flying Dutchman, having found the cloth Will had swapped for the key. He was furious that Will had managed to double cross him like that.

Behind him, Bootstrap was being held at knife point by one of the crewmen. It looked like a sawfish sword which was being used as a restraining weapon against Bootstrap, "You will watch this," Jones said to him, making sure Bootstrap was being made to watch what was about to happen. The crewmen were being whipped in order to turn a large screw that was used to summon the Kraken, "Let no joyful voice be heard! Let no man look up at the sky with hope! And let this day be cursed by we who ready to wake... the _Kraken_!" Jones shouted out as the device thumped heavily against the sea.

"No!" Bootstrap shouted out in anguish as he watched.

Ooooooooooooo

The crewmen on board the Edinburgh Trader rushed to the railing, chattering to see the Flying Dutchman. Will had managed to get himself up on top of the mast, "I've doomed us all," he whispered solemnly before shouting, "It's the Flying Dutchman!" At these words a loud thumping sound resonated throughout the ship.

Bursar was holding a rope, twisting it in his hands in fear, "Oh, Mother Cary's chickens. What happened?" he asked the crewmen around him.

"Must've hit a reef," the quartermaster answered as the crew began looking overboard, seeing bubbles rising up alongside the ship.

Bellamy nodded, his forehead shining with sweat, "Free the rudder! Hard to port, then hard to starboard! Clear the rudder! Hard to port!" he ordered his crew and they ran about the deck following his orders.

A Kraken tentacle silently reached up behind them, seizing an unsuspecting crewman while they all had their backs turned. The Kraken tentacle surfaced then in the distance, holding the crewman who was now screaming, "_Kraken!_"

A crewman began ringing the ship's bell wildly as a huge tentacle rose high over the ship. It came down hard onto the deck, breaking the ship in two which bounced men off the deck. Men slid off the tilted deck as Will was flung underwater, seeing the body of the Kraken in the distance under the water. Will surfaced, climbing aboard a floating board from the debris of the ship. The Flying Dutchman came near Will, and he slid off his board and began swimming towards the ship. He managed to grab the corals at the back off the ship, pulling himself out of the water. He looked back out at the sea, seeing the floating debris and Elizabeth's wedding dress amongst it all.

Ooooooooooooo

"The boy's not here. He must've been claimed by the sea," Maccus reported as they looked out at the devastation wrought by the Kraken.

Jones spat angrily, "_I_ am the sea," he snapped before stomping over to Bootstrap, "You need time alone with your thoughts," he said angrily as Bootstrap was taken below.

"What of the survivors?" Bo'sun asked him.

Jones was silent for a moment as he looked out at the sea, "There are no survivors," he ordered as the remaining crewmen from the Edinburgh Trader were simultaneously axed from behind. Will, upon witnessing the axing, ducked behind a beam. Jones turned then, sensing Will's presence, but could not see him, "The chest is no longer safe," Jones muttered before turning back to Bo'sun, "Chart a course to Isla Cruces. Get me there first, or there'll be the devil to pay," he ordered to which he received a nod from Bo'sun.

"First?" Koleniko asked him.

Jones nodded, "Who sent that thieving charlatan onto my ship? Who told them of the key? Jack Sparrow," Jones answered him and Will's eyes widened slightly as he managed to make his way towards the front of the Flying Dutchman where he planned on hitching a ride between the jaw formations.

Ooooooooooooo

Elizabeth and Hermione were sitting on the steps of the Black Pearl talking quietly about something which had Hermione looking guilty, and Jack walked over to them holding a bottle of rum, "Well, you both look lively," he said, watching in slight shock as Hermione stood up and stormed away, "Something I said?" he asked Elizabeth who sighed.

"No, I was just asking her some questions," Elizabeth answered, shaking her head.

"My tremendous intuitive sense of the female creature informs me that you are troubled," he informed her.

Elizabeth lowered her head, looking at the wooden deck, "I just thought I'd be married by now. I'm so ready to be married," she answered sadly as Jack offered Elizabeth a drink from the bottle of rum.

Jack sat next to her, "You know... Lizzy... I _am_... captain of a ship, and _being_ captain of a ship, I could in fact perform a... marriage. Right here. Right on this deck," he told her.

"Oh, really?" she asked, looking at him.

"Yep, it comes with the package," he answered, taking a swig from his rum.

"Would you marry Will and I? Could you handle seeing that union?" she asked, her curiosity about how he feels about her getting the better of her. She had a feeling his interests lay elsewhere considering the way he had been looking at Hermione lately.

"Why would it bother me? I love weddings, and what better wedding than the wedding of two of my most favourite people?" he asked her.

Elizabeth smiled, letting out a small laugh, "Is that supposed to be your blessing or something?" she asked him.

Jack nodded slowly, "Personally, I think you and Will are well suited. You are both as stubborn as a mule, and don't take no for an answer. My only love is the sea, Elizabeth, so it would never work out between us," he told her with a small smile, "And if I was ever to come across the one thing that vexes all men of the sea… then she would have to love the sea as much as I for it to work out," he told her honestly which shocked Elizabeth, and she noticed his gaze moved pointedly over to where Hermione was standing gazing out at the sea.

"She is your vex," Elizabeth muttered, looking back at him.

His expression, which had been soft and relaxed when looking over at Hermione, hardened slightly as he looked back at her, "Your meaning, lass?" he asked her, carefully hiding his emotions.

"Hermione… you feel something for her," she said to him, watching him look away but avoiding looking in Hermione's direction, "It's obvious… you at least care about her," she said to him.

Jack looked back at her, smirking slightly, "Caring about someone, and loving someone is not the same, Elizabeth. She is a member of my crew, and I care about everyone on my crew. Don't mean I love them," he answered thinking this would be the end of it.

"But you love her..." she stated to which he just looked down at the wooden deck again, and she took this as an answer in the affirmative.

"We _are_ very alike, her and I. I and her. Us," he muttered, taking a drink of his rum.

Elizabeth laughed slightly, "Oh. Except for a sense of honour, and decency and… and a moral centre. And personal hygiene," she listed off, looking back at him in amusement.

Jack sniffed his armpits, "Trifles," he muttered, "I can clean up, you know. She _will_ come over to my side, I know it," he said with a small smile as he looked over at Hermione again.

"You seem very certain," she answered, following his gaze.

"She's already warming to my charms. She has agreed to be a member of my crew meaning she must trust me, listen to me, and be able to take orders from me. To be in the same vicinity as me… meaning to some extent she must like me-" he listed off, but Elizabeth cut him off.

"Tolerate is probably the word you want there, Jack," Elizabeth said in amusement as Jack glared at her slightly.

"Does it matter?" he asked her, before looking back over at Hermione, "One day, she won't be able to resist," he whispered, taking another drink of his rum.

Elizabeth nodded slowly, "Maybe..." she trailed off, before deciding to change the subject, "Why doesn't your compass work?" she asked curiously.

Jack looked at her, a bit thrown off by her change of subject, "Uh… my compass works fine," he answered, looking away from her.

Elizabeth smiled, "There will come a moment when you have a chance to do the right thing, Jack," she said to him.

Jack smirked, "I _love_ those moments. I like to wave at them as they pass by," he answered, making a show of waving at something.

Elizabeth laughed slightly before turning serious again, "You'll have the chance to do something… something courageous. And when you do, you'll discover something: that you're a good man," she stated, trying to convince him.

Jack shook his head, "All evidence to the contrary," he answered instantly, taking another drink.

"I have faith in you. Want to know why?" she asked him.

"Do tell, dearie," he probed, looking at her.

Elizabeth smiled, "Because you're going to want it. A chance to be admired, and gain the rewards that follow. You won't be able to resist. You're going to want to know… what it tastes like," she answered, taking the bottle from him and taking a drink as she watched his expression.

Jack looked away from her, his gaze going back to Hermione, "I _do_ want to know what it tastes like," he whispered, absently taking the bottle back and taking a drink.

Elizabeth smiled, knowing now for sure about how Jack felt about Hermione, which meant she no longer worried so much about this as she knew Jack would probably do anything for Hermione to make sure she was safe. Elizabeth stood up, gaining Jack's attention at he sudden movement, "Well then, I imagine you would want to be a good man if you want Hermione to like you or eventually love you. I think with time, effort, and work on your part your dream may come true," she told him. Jack looked down, wondering if it was worth the hassle of changing just for one woman. His eyes widened then as the black spot boiled into view in his hand, but Elizabeth didn't notice, "Wow, no smartarse comeback. I'm proud of you, Jack," she said, smirking at him.

"Land ho!" Gibbs shouted then, making Jack and Elizabeth look out seeing land close by.

Jack sighed and Elizabeth turned back to him, waiting for him to speak. He glanced at her, before walking away and she frowned as he muttered, "I want my jar of dirt."

ooooooooooo

Jack, Hermione, Norringtion, and Elizabeth got into a longboat, which Pintel and Ragetti were rowing towards the island. Jack was in the bow with Hermione sitting beside him, while Elizabeth and Norrington were in the back. Pintel looked at Ragetti angrily, "You're pullin' too fast," he said.

"You're pulling too slow. We don't want the Kraken to catch us," Ragetti argued.

"I'm savin' me strength for when it comes. And I don't think it's Krack-en, anyways. I always heard it said Kray-kin," Pintel reasoned.

Ragetti frowned, "What, with a long A?" he asked him in confusion.

"Aye," Pintel answered.

"No-no-no-no-no-no-no. Krock-en's how it's pronounced in the original Scandinavian, and Krack-en's closer to that," Ragettia argued.

Pintel chuckled, "Well we ain't original Scandinavians, are we? Kray-ken!" he said.

"It's a mythological creature, I can calls it what I wants," he answered as they reached the beach.

Jack disembarked from the boat, beginning to walk away, "Guard the boat, mind the tide... Don't touch my dirt," he ordered them and they nodded.

Jack handed the compass to Elizabeth who wandered off into the sand dunes, following the pointer as Jack, Hermione, and Norrington followed her at a slower pace. Elizabeth looked around in frustration as the pointer suddenly pointed in the opposite direction, "This doesn't work. And it _certainly_ doesn't show you what you want most," she announced, sitting down in the sand and setting the compass down in front of her where the needle point was pointing towards her.

Jack rolled his eyes, walking over to her, "Yes it _does_. You're sitting on it!" he said exasperatedly.

"Beg your pardon?" Elizabeth said in shock, looking at him as if he insulted her.

"Move," he told her, and she stood up as Jack and Norrington began digging under where she had been sitting.

Down by the boat, Pintel and Ragetti had gotten out of the boat and were clowning around. Ragetti was balancing a shovel on one hand, as Pintel was pacing and muttering to himself, "'Mind the tide'," he said sarcastically.

Ragetti moved closer to him, the shovel still balanced in his hand, "I may join the circus!" he announced, looking at Pintel who was still muttering angrily.

Pintel stopped pacing, looking towards where Jack and Norrington were still shovelling sand, "Don't mind if I shine your shoes, sir?" he said sarcastically as Ragetti followed his line of sight.


End file.
